Part 2: Precious, precocious and pristine!
by Eve Nightingale
Summary: CURRENTLY ALL THREE PARTS ARE BEING RE-WRITTEN AS 'DEEP ROOTS'. Al's been restored to his former self and still the mayhem ensues. A dark cult has taken hold and they have their sights set on high goal, immortality.
1. Chapter 1 Cloudy

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**Chapter 1 - Cloudy  
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The verdant feilds of Resembool blew with the sweet scent of summer; the lush grass and the sparse trees sung with hapiness as the fresh air wistled though them, rusteling and blowing freely. It was a beautiful summer, much like the ones that always came across the quaint little village. Winry laid down on the back porch on a woden sun chair; the family business was booming, so she took advantage of all her time off by soaking up a little sun and just doing some good old relaxing. Seeing as there was nothing else better to do, she watched Ed chase the dog around the yard for a while. 

Ever since he returned Al to his original state, Edward's mood improved and his general state of being was lightned. It also seemed that his attitude towards her was changing as well; it was only a slight warming, but it was still there, witch made he mind jump for joy. He wasn't as cold, and he talked to her more; Winry was without a doubt giddy as a schoold girl, though not outwardly so.

Along with all this, Al also seemed different. Being a suit of armor meant he didn't have to eat, sleep or feel pain, but he also really didn't feel anything at all, like true happiness. His attitude had changed, not a whole lot, he was still Al, but he bacame more outspoken and active. Not to mention, his seemingly depressed demeanor did a complete turn around; he was one of the cheeriest people she knew; coupled with his older brother, nothing in the world seemed wrong at the time.

Winry smiled, she was so happy things were back to the way they should have been all along. "Winry..." A small voice from the kitchen called out to her. Looking back she could see her grandmother waving a wooden spoon.

"Huh? Oh!" She smiled and turned towards the backyard where Edward was in a tug of war with the family dog, Den. "Hey Ed! Food's done!" She yelled out to him. Ed looked up from the dog and smiled; Winry was so happy to see him smiling, it wasn't forced, it wasn't coupled with an overberring burden, it was just a happy smile.

"Thanks!" He replied as he calmed the dog down and headed up to the porch. He smiled at Winry on his way to the door. Holding it open for her, they both entered the kitchen. Al was helping set the table and put out the food. Al had always helped his mother in the kitchen while Ed fooled around outside. Things were truly back to the way they were in the beginning.

"Hey brother." Al said as he handed Edward a letter; it was addresed from central. "I think Roy's trying to spoil our time off." Al didn't belong to the military, at least not yet; the alchemy exam wasn't being held till winter, so he had half a year to prepare. Still, along side his brother, he activly participated in military business.

"Wonder what that old dog wants..." Tapping the letter on the set table he knocked the paper on the inside to one side. Ripping open the opposite end he took the letter out and began to read. There was a moment of slience, Winry stood there, worried her two of he childhood friends would once again be torn away form her and hurled into danger. This however didn't seem to be the case, the smile on Ed's face said otherwise.

Al peeked over the top of the letter slightly. "What is it?" He was not able to read upside down, so he was left in suspence.

"Well..." Ed began as he passed him the paper. "We're being comissioned to do a little escorting. The holy leader of Lior is being summoned to Central to recieve some documents scantioning her to be a lisensed and recognized leader." Ed gave him a smile.

Al was in shock. "You mean Rose...?" He exclaimed with a smile on his face, he continued to skim the letter.

"Yup." Ed said as he sat down at the table. "We have most of the day tomorrow, so there's no rush." Folding his arms he lounged back in his seat. "I wonder if she'll be bring her baby with her." Ed wondered.

Al shrugged. "I hope so, I've only gotten to hold him once since I got my body back. He was so wam and cute." He smiled, feeling the softness of Ravi, Rose's baby, was one of the first things he actually felt after recieving his body back; right after his brother's suffocating hug to be exact.

Winry smiled. "So, how long is this going to take?" She asked.

Al looked up from the letter. "Probably a week or so. A few days to get there, stay a couple of days then, provided nothing comes up, we'll head back." He folded the letter and placed it back into it's evlelop then handed it back to Ed.

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about us. It's nothing dangerous." Ed comforted her as he eyed the food on the oposite side of the kitchen with anticipation. "Mmm...We'll start packing tonight, our train leaves tomorrow at 4 pm." All was settled, they all sat down and enjoyed their meal. Supper was just a simple stew, though it was very filling and quite deliscious, it was their favorite. It reminded the boys of the way their mother use to cook; nostalgia was a fine thing.

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Later that evening everyone retired to bed early, except for Ed, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep; maybe he was excited to see Rose again, or maybe his body knew it would be on a long train ride the following day and wanted to sleep then. Either way, instead of keeping Al up with his constant tossing, he headed outside to the back step. 

Sitting down he heard some soft footsteps and then a small clunk, a few soft footsteps then a small clunk; looking behind him he saw that Den had followed behind him. The dog laid down next to him and rested his head on Ed's lap, in turn he pet his soft head. The moments of slience passed slowly, Ed gazed up into the dark night, the overcast sky made the stars hidden from view. Edward sighed, looking up at the stars was one of his favorite things about coming home; the bright lights of the city prevented any good star viewing.

"Heloooo?" He heard Winry's voice from inside the house. "Who's there?" She was a little weary, thinking someone was breaking into the house.

"It's just me, I'm out back." He yelled back to her, he heard a sigh, then the clunk of a wrench being laid down. He figure she was armed. Winry's weapon of choice if a burgler decided to break in, the wrench. She walked out the back door and stood next to the frame.

"What are you doing out here this late?" She asked, a sleepy tone in her voice.

Ed looked over his shoulder. "I can't sleep. You?"

Winry smiled. "I thought someone was breaking in, this back door is loud, I'll oil it tomorrow." She smiled and sat down next to Ed, the opposite side the dog was on. "So...do you think it would be ok if I came with you?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "You know this is military business, I can't ask if you can accompany us."

She nodded. "I know that, but I'd like to go visit Elicia, it's been a couple months since I seen her. She probably misses me; I miss her." She said with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

Ed smiled and nodded. "You just want to keep an eye on us." Winry looked a little hurt, it was true in both senses, she did miss Elicia, but she secretly wanted to make sure Ed and Al were both in reach. "I guess." He said with a smile.

Winry's eyes lit up. "What!" She was so surpirsed, usually she had to fight with him to get him to take her along.

"Yeah," He began. "Rose is bringing her son with her, you could babysit while she's at HQ. Not to mention, she may know us, but she might be more comfortable traveling for three days with another girl tagging along." Winry gave a yelp of glee and glomed onto Edward, hugging him tightly. He blushed a little. "Calm down." He laughed.

Winry smiled wide. "Oh thank you so much Edward!" She nuzzeled him roughly with her forehead. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Releasing her grip she gave him some air; she squeed with joy. "You should probably try to sleep. I'll go throw a few things in my suitcase now." She gave him an unexpected peck on the cheek and rose to her feet. "I'll see you in the morning." She skipped off merrily to her room. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He said back. A blush crept across his face. Wirny never did that before, what made her kiss him all of a sudden? He shrugged it off and chawked it up to lack of sleep. Just then he felt a soft warm tongue press against his cheek and travel upward to his eye. "Gaah! DEN!" He ruffeled the dog's ears and lightly pushed him off his lap. "At least Winry didn't slobber on me." He whiped his cheek off. "Well...I guess I should try and sleep." He headed off to his room for the night.


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting

Sorry the first couple chapters kind of suck, I have a hard time getting big projects like this off the ground, I know what I want to write, but I just can't...it's weird. Anyway, I hope to get reviews, remember, I can't improve if no one tells me what I'm doing wrong.

Read and review please! Thank you!

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Chapter 2 - Meeting

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"Hey Rose!" Al waved a frantic hand at Rose. She was sitting in the window seat closest to the station. She gave him a smile and waved back. Since the train was only passing through they were forced to skip the idol chit-chat at the station and board immediately.

"So who's your friend?" Rose said whilst sitting next to Winry; Rose was feeding her baby boy. Ed smiled and turned to Winry.

"I forgot to introduce you two. Winry, this is the holy mother Rose from Lior." He turned to Rose. "And this is Winry, she's a childhood friend of mine and Al's. She's the brilliant mechanic behind my automail." Winry blushed.

"Such praise; you must really be something." Winry waved a hand at Rose.

"Oh no, I'm just a simple mechanic." She smiled. Polite conversation was all around, they talked about how they first met, the dealings with Cornello, Scar creating the philosophers stone; basically, all the things that led up to them being where they all were today. Though they all missed the excitement, not one of them rejected the peace.

Evening approached them quickly, the horizon turned a vibrant red and orange color. Edward sighed, being on trains for so long he developed a sensitivity to them. He stood up in his seat and entered the aisle.

"Where are you going?" Winry looked up from her drink.

"Just to get some air." He hooked his thumb behind him to the back of the car. Ed turned and exited the train to the platform in the back of the train.

"I wonder what's up with him." Winry questioned. She looked across the seat to Al and Rose. The baby had fallen asleep in her arms and Al was softly patting his little head. Looking over to answer Winry's question he shrugged.

"I don't know why, but he's been getting queasy like this lately. I guess he's getting tired of riding on trains for days at a time." Rose nodded.

"Probably, but luckily this train ride will be over tomorrow." They looked at Rose in a questioning manner. "Yeah, they finally build a bridge long enough and strong enough to reach across the lake we usually have to go around. It cut two days off the trip." Al and Winry seemed surprised.

"Really, I bet he'll be glad to hear that." Winry stood up. "Where you going?" Al asked.

"I figured I'll keep him company for a while." She proceeded to the back platform to talk to Edward. Stepping out of the train she set foot on the platform, the wind whipping through her hair and the bright setting sun coloring her cheeks a lovely orange color.

"Huh?" Ed had his arms resting on the bar at the back of the train, leaning slightly over the edge; they had a back car all to themselves, so he got a great view of the passing scenery. "Oh, hey Winry..." He looked over hi shoulder then back to the sunset.

"Hey...you feeling ok?" Ed nodded.

"Yeah, I just needed a little air." He rested his chest on the back bar. Winry followed suit, leaning down to enjoy the setting sun. It wasn't that bright, so it was possible to look almost directly at it. After a short while of just standing there Winry spoke.

"You know, their's a new rout the train goes on, we'll be there by tomorrow." Ed looked up at her.

"Really? That's good news. I didn't think that this was the rout we normally take" His eyes lowered away from Winry's gaze and returned to the horizon. The two of them stood there side by side, in silence, admiring the view, and just appreciating the time together.

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The following day, Central station was packed, people were loading and unloading, chatting with loved ones, some were buying souvenirs and a few even tried to sneak a free trip on the train; these were mostly kids though. The five of them got off the train and immediately shot in the direction of the exits. Ed and Al carefully leaded Rose and her baby out of the station, if anything bad was going to happen, it would happen there. Winry followed closely behind.

"Woo, damn heat." Ed tugged on the collar of his shirt, trying to cool himself off. Al looked at his brother.

"Heat? You can't possibly be hot, it's nice out." It was true, it was indeed hot, but not unbearable. Ed continued to fan himself.

"Nice? Let me tell you, metal conducts heat. And my arm happens to conduct and store heat quite well." Al smiled.

"Oh yeah." They walked down the streets of Central, a cab was ordered for them but they flagged him on; it was too nice of a day to be in a car. Rose's baby cooed happily as he got to see the new sights and smells of central.

"Are you having a good time Ravi?" The baby gave her a blank stare almost as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't. "You're so cute little one." She snuggled him tight and then placed him over her shoulder. Winry smiled at the little baby, he was so quiet and well behaved.

"Ravi, was it? What's that name mean?" Rose smiled warmly.

"Ravi is the ancient name of Leto, the sun god. Directly translated, it means "Sun", like the sun in the sky." Winry rubbed the child's chubby little cheek.

"Did you give him that name for any special reason?" Rose grew silent, but quickly spoke up.

"My boyfriend who passed away said that if he were to ever have a son that he wanted to give him the name Ravi. He said a child would light up his life, so giving him a name like Ravi would be very fitting. He lit up my life as the sun lights the earth everyday." They all smiled.

"How sweet. Would it be ok if I held him?" Winry shyly asked. They paused; Rose nodded and made sure his blanket was wrapped around him firmly.

"Make sure to support his head." Winry nestled the baby in her arms and she giggled, he was only four months old and didn't know how to hold his head up all the well yet.

"He's so cute." She hugged Ravi softly. "So sweet." Rose placed her hands on her hips and they continued walking.

"You don't mind holding him for a whiled do you? My back's a little sore." Winry nodded.

"It's no problem." Rose gave her baby a kiss on the cheek and they pressed on.

"So tell me Winry do you--" Something caught her eye. A car driving by; a passenger in the back seat. "...wha...is...no." They looked at Rose, she seemed as though she had seen a ghost.

"Are you ok Rose? Do you need to sit down?" Al questioned frantically, thinking she might be too warm. Rose snapped back to reality.

"Uh...oh no, I'm fine. I just thought I saw someone..." Rose seemed disheartened. Ed leaned in next to Al.

"Do you remember Al, something very bad happened to Rose during the retaliation...you don't think she saw the one who did it, do you?" Al shrugged.

"Either way we'll have to protect her no matter what." They nodded.

"What are you two going on about?" Ed and Al straightened out.

"Nothing!" The said in union. Winry raised an eyebrow and then sighed. Moving right along they walked down the scorched sidewalks of Central. Winry piped up.

"Ah...Rose, what were you going to ask me before you got cut off?" She questioned.

"Oh um...I-I don't remember. I'm sorry." She seemed almost in a daze. The were quiet all the way back to the station, aside from Ravi, who every so often made a few guttural squeaks.

"Well, this is where I get off." Winry stated, it was only a rare occasions that she was allowed in central H.Q., this was not one of those times.

"Alright, do you remember the way to the Hughes's home." Winry nodded.

"Yup. Would you like me to keep an eye on the baby till you're done Rose." She paused and thought for a moment.

"...Alright. You be good little Ravi." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then they parted ways. Rose looked off to the left, she saw the same car pulled along the side of the building. Sure enough she saw that man again, only a short glimpse of him, but still, if it wasn't who she was thinking of, it was someone who looked identical. Her face went almost a ghostly pale. Quickly she darted off in the direction of where she saw him go inside; it was a small door on the side of the building.

"Rose! What are you doing?" Ed caught up to her and stood by her side, Al followed closely behind.

"I thought I saw him...just for a moment." Ed seemed hurt, it was a shame that Rose's memories were hurting her like this, he knew only too well how she felt.

"Come on Rose," He laid a hand on her shoulder. "they're expecting us." She nodded and lowered her head. Breathing a heavy sigh she composed herself; she was a leader after all, she needed to be strong, for her baby and the rest of her people.

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Rose entered Roy's office, there was a fan going in the corner of the room, it hummed quietly. She approached his desk. "So, you're Colonel Mustang, Ed's told me a lot about you." Roy swooned.

"Oh really?" He laughed quietly to himself. "Ha...anything good?" Rose shook her head. "I'm not as bad as the boy makes me out to be...No matter, it's quite a pleasure to finally meet you; the young lady who took up the fallen existence of her people, then turned them into a shining beacon of hope." He extended his hand to shake hers. Taking a firm grip on his hand she greeted him.

"I assure you, the pleasure's all mine." Rose gave him a sweet smile.

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Ed listened from the other side of the door; him and Al were set there to make sure no one entered. Rose's meeting with Roy was suppose to be confidential; until the paper signing part was over no one was to enter.

"I wonder what the big deal is." Al was sitting on the chair, legs folded up underneath him. Ed was leaning backwards in his chair, it was almost tipping over. He set it down hard on the floor, causing it to scoot forward a little.

"Bah, I don't know. I think I heard tell of Cornello-ites or something." Al raised an eyebrow.

"Cor-nello-ites? That's kind of a lame name." Ed nodded.

"Well, I have no idea what they're calling themselves, but they're just a small, but heavily armed, group who're trying to overthrow Rose. They say she's a fraud and that Cornello was the only true profit; they sent her death threats and everything. Religious freaks are weird like that." Al seemed surprised. "See, this is what you get for dozing off on the train." He waved a finger at his little brother. Just then, they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. When the figure became clearer, they saw that it was Master Sergeant. Fuery.

"Hey boys, what are you two doing out here?" Al uncrossed his legs and set them on the floor.

"We're guarding Roy's office, no one's allowed in until he say's so." Ed nodded in agreement.

"They've been in there quite a while, I bet Roy's flirting with her." Ed followed up. Fuery smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"The Colonel seems to have a knack for that kind of thing. Who's he in there with?" Ed looked up.

"The hold mother of--" The knob clicked and Rose appeared through the door. "--Lior."

"Rose?" Fuery's eyes met with the young lady's. Her hands began to tremble as she raised them to her face. No sooner had she set her sight on him that her eyes began to well up with tears. "What are you...?" Fuery managed to stammer out. Rose extended her arms and threw them around his shoulders, she began crying uncontrollably. Fuery slowly, but reluctantly, raised his hands to comfort her. She stood up straight.

"Kain...I thought you were dead..." Ed and Al were completely dumbfounded.

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I only recently dawned on me, Kain Fuery...Rose's boyfriend Kain...how could I link that up?...I know! You'll have to read on to find out. 

**Chapter 3 -** _Kain explains to Rose why he led her to believe that he was dead._

Remember, even if it's just a few short words, tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3 What to say

OK, this one's kind of short, but the next one will be better. And I know it looks like I'm screwing with continuity, but bare with me, it'll all get explained in the next chapter.

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**Chapter 3 - What to say

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Rose wiped tears form her eyes as Kain did his best to comfort her. "Please don't be sad Rose." He coaxed. "It's not like I left without a good reason." She nodded.

"I know." She said with a sniffle. "I'm still a little hurt you left...but I'm just so happy to see you again." Kain smiled, it had been a while since he had seen Rose, he was glad to see that she was doing alright. Still, he couldn't help but feel his life had been a burden on her.

"Alright then, let's see if we can get this cleared up." Roy folded his hands together and rested his elbows on his desk. Ed and Al sat next to one another on one side of the room and Kain and Rose were in the center of the room in front of Roy's desk. "Would you mind filling us in Fuery?" He nodded.

"Well you see, about two years ago I was set in the town of Lior, I was gathering information about the new leader who had taken up power almost overnight. This was before I was promoted, so information gathering was my speciality." Everyone listened on intently.

"I'm good with radio signals as some of you know, intercepting phone conversations and spying on Cornello was the basis of me being there. I met Rose, somewhere within the first year of my being positioned in Lior. Spying on the church meant I came in contact with a lot of the church goers." Rose looked up at him.

"I never knew you were there to spy on the church." She seemed take aback by this knowledge.

"Well,the military wasn't planning on taking over, they just wanted to know what kind of power this Cornello guy was holding. Considering it was a secret mission I was ordered not to tell anyone anything, no matter what." Rose once again lowered her gaze.

"I see..."Fuery continued.

"Rose and I got long quite well, I spent most all my free time with her. After a year had passed, the church found out about my presence, shortly thereafter,a hit was put out on me. Basque Grand covered for me and we planned to get me out of there quickly so no one would come after me. At first I was just going to go back to central in hopes of them forgetting about me." Rose sniffled.

"Why didn't you just do that? It would have been less painful." She once again sobbed. Kain rubbed her back.

"That was my first option. But I wasn't going to take the chance that they would hold you hostage to get at me. I didn't want any harm to come to you. Staging my death was the only way to ensure your safety. If there was some other way, I defiantly would have done it. SO it was settled, we staged an accident and I was pulled out of Lior right away." Rose grabbed at her yellow dress and held it tightly in her hands.

"But everything's ok now...we can just go back to the way things were before right?" Rose tried her hardest to smile, but the expression on Kain's face prevented that.

"Oh Rose...I really don't know if that possible." He lowered his eyes away form her.

"Why not." The room grew tense, no one could understand why he was saying such things.

"Rose, I belong to the military, there's no telling what I might have to do throughout my life. I could be sent off to war, I might have to be away for months at a time. There's no real way to tell where I'm going to be at in the future, and there's no real way of telling of what the military will have me do. I really don't want that kind of life for you Rose, I really care about you, I don't want you to have to worry about me like that." Rose pressed her nails into the palms of her hands.

"Regardless if I'm with you or not, I'll still worry about you...there's no hiding it Kain, I still love you." Al sucked in air.

"I wasn't expecting that..." He held back a sniffle as he said that quietly to Ed. Al was always a sap when it came to situations like this.

"Do you still love me?" Kain nodded without hesitation.

"Of course I do...but--" Rose cut him off.

"But nothing! It doesn't matter who you are or what you do I'll always be here for you." Rose began to cry even harder.

"Fuery...Look at her." Roy said. "How cold you say no?" Kain tripped over his words.

"We--- I uh..hmm." Rose took a deep breath.

"It probably wouldn't have been such a burden on me...if when you left I wasn't..." Rose couldn't find the words.

"I know you didn't have anyone...but I figured it would have been better than having you in the danger of being killed." Kain stood up in front of Rose. "I just wanted the best for you." He smiled. Rose nodded.

"I just didn't know what to tell the baby when he was able to asked where his daddy was." The room was set into a state of shock.

"B-baby?" Kain managed to stammer out. Everyone in the room was slack jawed.

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There you go, like I said, short...but significant. I straighten it out all in the next chapter. 

**Chapter 4 -** _Is this baby indeed the son of Kain? What about this domestic disturbance in Lior?_

Remember, read and review, if I get more, maybe I might update again today...maybe, I still have to go to the gym yet. So no promises.


	4. Chapter 4 Disturbance

Here you have it, the next chapter, it only took me a couple hours to write. (baby and all) It's really going to start picking up from here on out! I hope you read and review. Remember, the more reviews, the quicker I update!

I would however like to take this time to thank all my loyal reviewers, without you, I would suck!

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4 - Disturbance**

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"Well...there's no doubt about it." Kain exclaimed as he examinedRavi. He and the baby looked almost identical. Aside form the hair and skin color, they looked so much alike; the face shape, the nose, the eyes and even the eye color. "Wow, it's like looking at a little me." He extended his hands to pick up the baby. Carefully he slid his hands underneath Ravi's arms and lifted him up to eye level. 

"Geez, does he ever look like you." Ed said from across the room. His arms were folded, almost in a disbelieving manner. "Rose..." She turned to face him. "Not that I doubted your word any...but I do need to ask you something...it's kind of personal." Rose smiled.

"I don't mind." Ed took a deep breath.

"Do you remember when the military took you in as a prisoner a while back? We were told by Dante that you experienced trauma to the extent that you were no longer able to speak...what exactly happened?" Rose's eyes became sad. Winry spoke out.

"You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to." Rose shook her head. They all sat there, around the Hughes's kitchen table, Roy had even accompanied them, he too wanted to see Fuery's baby. Not that he thought Rose was laying, he just wanted to see the little onefor himself.

"It's alright, I knew the day would come where I had to tell someone." Rose folded her hands on her lap. Since Rose was going to be staying at the Hughes's home for the next two days, they all decided to move there to meet the baby. "You see, I was about six months into term when I was captured, they treated me rather badly, I was beaten and practically starved to death. I went into false labor about 20 times before I actually gave birth. When I was in labor, I was given no anesthetic and after the baby was born they took him away and then beat me till I stopped crying. I received no medical attention for my wounds, and I was suffering constantly. Ravi was taken away from me and I didn't see him for almost a week." They listened on intently. Gracia and Winry were almost in tears.

"Some of the other prisoners saw what I was going through. Every time I would wake up I would cry and ask for my baby. This only cause me to receive more beatings." Rose swallowed a lump in her throat. "They beat me till I would lay still, the pain was too much. After a while I just couldn't speak, I guess I was afraid they would hit me again if I did so. The other prisoners decided they had to get me out of there. They caused a riot and in all the confusion helped me to escape." Everyone seemed relieved the sad part of the story was over. Rose smiled.

"That's when I saw him, someone had left Ravi unattended, crying and unbathed, in one of the unlocked prison cells. He looked starving, like they didn't feed him at all in the last day. Taking him in my custody I ran and ran until I couldn't see the prison anymore." Rose sighed. "But that's all I can remember. I don't remember being taken in by Dante, I barely remember Scar helping with the village. My memory only starts to come back around the time my voice returned. At first I remembered all of what happened, but then those memories beforemy voicecame backwere like a bad dream, they just seemed to fade away, as if they never really happened." The kitchen was silent and Rose drew in a breath.

"But all that's over now." She said confidently. "I'm living well leading my people with my new baby, and now that I know you're alive Kain, I can put my mind at ease." Kain smiled at Rose, he was so happy to see that she was now doing ok.

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"Are you sure if it's alright for me to stay here for the rest of the day?" Kain asked politely with his baby in his arms. Roy nodded. 

"Yeah, it's been lazy all day anyway, you spend some time with Rose and your little one." Roy smiled warmly. Ed and Al headed down the stairs, Ed had a rather predominant scowl on his face.

"How come we don't get to spend time with the baby?" Edward spat as he walked by. Roy only gave him a pat on the back.

"When you have kids of your own someday, I'll look into giving you a family day or two." Ed rolled his eyes. Kain had a very pleased look on his face. He was reunited with his Rose after so long. "Besides, you have to fill out some paperwork for me." Al was surprised and a little annoyed.

"It'll take us five minutes to do that. Can't we just do it later." Roy shook his head.

"I mean you're doing 'my' paperwork, I've wasted the day and need assistance to finish it. With that he opened the back door to his car and the two boys got in, mumbling all the way.

"You lazy bas--" Roy slammed the door on Ed's sentence before he could finish it. Roy gave them a wave and hopped into the drivers side and headed off down the road. Rose waved back and turned her gaze to Kain, he was holding the baby in one arm and waving with the other. Ravi had found a comfortable spot on his daddy's shoulder and had dozed off.

"Come on Rose, let's get inside, I have so many things I need to ask you." He snuggled the baby close and the two of them went back inside.

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Ed sat at the desk and went over the pile of papers that Roy had stuck in front of him. Al got the shorter documents to go over, Roy knew very well how quickly Edward read, so giving him the lengthy ones meant things would go quicker. Ed muttered as her forged Roy's signature on paper after paper. He paused and looked up to Al. 

"Isn't there a law against this? You know, faking someone else's signature." Al nodded without looking up form his papers.

"Yeah...but who's Roy going to tell? The military?" Ed sighed.

"I guess you're right. I should tell Riza he's doing this, that'll make him smarten up." Ed snickered, he remembered how much trouble he got in last time for doing something like this, it wasn't a pleasant sight. Riza had him at gunpoint and everything; it was one of those moment you just wished you had a camera.

"Brother, don't be so hard on the Colonel, he does a lot for us." His older brother nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right...I just wished he would have stayed here and helped us." Ed looked up to see no one else in the room.

"He hadn't eaten all day, he needed to get to the mess hall before it closed." Ed gritted his teeth at the gullibility of his younger brother.

"He's just making excuses Al!" Ed quickly scribbled down another one of his perfected 'Roy Mustang' signatures. Al bit his bottom lip as he finished off readng another paper. Out of nowhere, the phone rang and scared the two boy's out of their wits. Al dropped his quill as Ed made a rather indiscriminate black ink mark across the bottom of one of the papers. "Shit..." HE tried to whipe it off, this only made it worse.

"Should we answer it?" Ed nodded as he tried to remove the stain.

"Yeah, it might be important...you do it." Al looked at his brother in a shocked manner. Ed gave up on the paper and threw it to the side.

"Why do you always make me do all the dirty work!" He yelled. The phone rang again. "You're voice is a lot deeper than mine, I can't fake being Roy!" Ed waved a hand at him.

"It's really easy, just act all self important and really haute when you talk." The phone rang for a third time. Al bit his lip again.

"Forget it, I'll just answer it." He allowed the phone to ring one more time and at the end of the ring he picked up. "Hello, Roy Mustang's office."

"_I need you two to come down to the briefing hall on the double!_" The voice that emanated through to his end of the phone was none other than Roy himself.

"What's going on?" Al asked. Ed rose form his seat and approached his younger brother.

"_I'll fill you both in when you get here. Now hurry!_" Roy slammed the phone down. Al was left there, dumbfounded; he hung the phone up, his expression turned to worry.

"What's going on?" Al shrugged.

"I have no idea. He want's us down in the briefing room; it sounds urgent." With haste the two boys headed down to the briefing room. It looked like a bee's nest, radio signals coming and going, people running around filing papers, new recruits getting updated on the locating and demography of Lior. The room was completely bug-nut. Roy saw the Elric's enter the room and got their attention.

"Boy's! Over here." He directed them to a table in the far corner of the room. Upon approaching the table they noticed Riza, she had on a headset trying to get a signal. The speakers fuzzed and crackled with static. "We just have to wait for Rose and I'll explain everything. I've sent Havoc out to get her." Only a few minutes passed when Rose appeared through the door with Fuery and Havoc. She went straight for Roy.

"What's the meaning of all this, what's going on?" Roy raised his hands to calm her.

"We received a transmission asking for you. Apparently the ones we thought were going to attack youon the way here,were in fact waiting for you to leave so they could revolt. They started rioting sometime early this morning and are demanding your head or else they're going to kill their hostage in the church." Rose thought for a moment.

"But, the only one who should have been in the church while I was gone would be...Catharine." Roy raised an eyebrow. "I gave everyone else the day off. Catharine said that it would be better for her studies if she were alone anyway." Havoc folded his arms.

"Where have I heard that name before...Wait a minute...Do you mean Catharine Armstrong?" Rose nodded.

"Why yes...do you know her." Havoc's lip trembled and his ever present unlit cigarette fell to the floor.

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Yet another chapter under my belt, I hope you liked it. Like I said in the beginning of this fic, I'll be jumping around from character to character, I won't just focus on one or two the whole time. The next few will focus on Havoc. He's so cool:) 

**Chapter 5 -** _Troops gear up and move out. Some to save Lior and other to save Lior and win a heart in the process. Good luck guys!_

Read and review please:)


	5. Chapter 5 A Sucessfull, Failed Rescue

Sorry it took me so long to update, but we had a storm the other day and I was afraid to stat writing and have the power go ou. It's happened to me before and I've lost pages upon pages of material. Anyway, I'm almost done with plot building and will soon get with the romance.

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**Chapter 5 - A Sucessfull-Failed Rescue**

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The trucks pulled up to the outskirts of town, the soldiers with their guns by their sides sat quietly as they awaited their arrival in Lior. Havoc's foot tapped impatiently; he knew that his chances were slim to none, but it was worth a shot. He would prove himself on the battle field and win at the very least her respect; then he would go from there. Havoc knew very well that he couldn't make someone love him, he was just hoping he didn't have to stalk her till she changed her mind.

He would never do such a thing, no matter how many times he got dumped; it was just way too creepy, even for him. Though it was tempting. He snapped out of his little daze and looked out the back of the truck; the temperature had gone up significantly in the last couple of days, so they must be nearby. Havoc was young, well 28, close enough by his standards; he was in good shape and he wasn't all too hard to look at, his only true flaw was the smoking. If he could find someone who smoked too or even someone who didn't mind, he would be set.

Considering Catherine's upbringing she would more than likely be a Nazi when it came to cigarettes. So his hopes there were shattered. His only option now was to try and quit. He wanted to get married and settle down, none of this trying to get a date thing; having a loyal and beautiful, wife at his side would be plenty. A an hour passed and they finally pulled into Lior, the streets were bare, aside from the soldiers, the whole city seemed as though it was abandon. Havoc stepped out of the truck along with the other soldiers. He peered around, he spotted a mother rocking her newborn baby through the window of a house. They looked so happy. Havoc then remembered the scene where he went to go fetch Fuery and Rose...

* * *

_Havoc's heavy fist pounded against the door as he awaited an answer. Remembering that Hughes's had a little girl he quickly put out his cigarette and exhaled smoke. Only a few seconds passed when Gracia answered the door. "Hey." He raised a hand in greeting._

_"Lieutenant Havoc? How can I help you? Come in." She opened the door and extended a greeting._

_"Thanks, but I'm only here to gather Sergeant Fuery and 'The Holy Mother'." He looked over Gracia to see Fuery rounding the corner with little Ravi in his arms._

_"Hey, I thought I heard your voice, what's going on?" Havoc hooked his thumb behind him._

_"There's a disturbance in Lior, we need you and Lior's leader to get to H.Q. immediately--" Havoc paused and examined Fuery. "...Why are you holding a baby?" Kain smiled and nuzzled up against him._

_"He's my son." Havoc was stunned, he looked at the baby and approached him._

_"When did this happen?" Kain held the baby snugly._

_"Three months ago." The tall blond leaned down to eye level with the child._

_"Oh yeah...how come I wasn't informed of this baby?" He seemed a little hurt, he worked along side Fuery day by day, he figured he would have gained his trust enough to be told about something like this._

_"Well, I only found out about him this morning." Havoc's mouth dropped open. "You remember Rose, the girl I told you about that I met in Lior? Yeah, apparently she was pregnant a month before I left for Central again." Kain said, a twinge of pride in his voice. Havoc found it hard to believe, if he hadn't have been seeing it, he never would have believed it. Fuery was the youngest out of Mustang's staff and yet he was the first one to be a father._

_"Wow...so Rose really did exist after all." Fuery fumed._

_"You thought I was lying!" Fuery seemed upset. Havoc rubbed the back of his head._

_"Well, the way you were going on about her, she just seemed to good to be true." He folded his arms. So where is she?" Rose entered the hall from the kitchen._

_"Kain? What's going on?" She seemed worried. Jean looked at the woman, she was beautiful, he brown hair accented by her pink bangs, her deeply colored eyes and trim figure; she was the true image of beauty. "What's happening in Lior?" She asked with deep concern._

_"Uh, there's been a terrorist attack and they're holding a hostage. Um, are you the holy mother?" Kain piped up._

_"Oh yeah, Rose." He turned in her direction. "This lieutenant Jean Havoc, he's one of the guys I work with." Rose smiled._

_"Nice to meet you." She nodded her head. Havoc inwardly freaked out. Not only was Rose real, she was gorgeous AND she was the 'Holy Mother' of Lior. He quickly gathered his thoughts. "Shouldn't we be going?" Havoc finally snapped out of his daze._

_"Sorry...this was just a little too much to take in all at once. Let's get going." Gracia smiled, it was good to see the Mustang wasn't working his crew to the point of exhaustion._

_"I don't mind keeping an eye on the baby while you're away. Elicia could use a little company anyway." Rose nodded._

_"Really? You don't mind? Thank you so much." Fuery handed over the baby._

_"See you later little guy." He gave the baby a kiss on his soft little head. "Bye Ravi." Rose repeated the same actions and left behind him. Havoc gave the little baby a tap on the shoulder._

_"See ya kid." He folded his arms and followed out the door behind Fuery and Rose. Quickly catching up to Fuery he grabbed him by the shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I should have believed you." Fuery only smiled and nodded as they continued walking.

* * *

_

Havoc shrugged it off. Kain was a father; that alone was enough to shake him. He only hoped these guys weren't too strong, if they we strong enough to subdue Catherine, they obviously had some kind of force behind them. He figured that if she couldn't get her hands on a piano, she wouldn't be of any danger to them. Approaching the church they could see a few scouts up on top in the bell tower and a couple guarding the door.

The 20 man squadron, within witch Mustangs crew was included, spread out and surrounded the church. Mustang walked up behind Havoc who was about to move into the newly opened church doors. Placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet." Havoc couldn't believe it, Mustang really was trying to steal his chances. He gritted his teeth.

"What for?" 'I bet you want to go in and rescue her. You jerk' He only thought the second part. Mustang smiled.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. We'll let you be the hero." Havoc inwardly retracted his statement. The Colonel was helping him? This was quite a shock, it seemed his week was quite irregular indeed. First the bit with Fuery and now this, strange was to say the least.

After apprehending the main terrorists all that was left was to round up the lackeys and seek out the hostage. This is where Havoc came in. Roy made eye contact and nodded. "Alright." Havoc grinned and picked up the flashiest gun he could carry. Making his way through a few of the hallways he managed to tackle and subdue 18 different radicals all along the way there was this strange smell, it seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Finally reaching the room where Catherine was speculated to be being held he booted down the door with all his might he saw her there, tied and bound to the chair. Two rather scruffy men were trying to accost her, they were touching her hair and one was rubbing her cheek. Rage flared in Havoc's mind.

"Let her go dammit!" He yelled and with great speed he rushed to Catherine's side and took out the two ruffians. One was knocked out with a hard steel toed boot to the head; the other received a rather rough clip in the head with the butt of Havoc's gun. Turing to the semi-conscious lumps on the floor he picked them up by the back of their shirts and headed for the window. Scanning the ground he could see a truck with prisoners in it.

With a wicked grin he threw them down and they landed with a thud on the top of the truck. "Two more for ya'! The military guard gave a smile and a wave acknowledging Havoc.

'Now for the daring rescue conclusion.' He turned only to find Catherine not only standing up straight but she was removing the ropes from around her waist. "Ha, wa...th...You could have gotten out anytime!" He stared on in disbelief.

"Well yes." She smiled and folded her hands in front of her. "It's just that if I tried to defend myself...I'd have to touch them, and they smelled like they hadn't bathed in weeks." Havoc couldn't help but smile; she was to demure for her own good. At least she was safe. "Besides, these ropes were incredibly weak." She picked one up and tugged on either side causing it to snap in half. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh well, I guess they didn't come well prepared." He gave a sigh. "Anyway, let's get back to everyone. I bet Major Armstrong will be happy to know you're alright." She nodded, smiled and exited the room. Havoc gave the ropes and chair one last look, and out of sheer curiosity he picked up one of the longer pieces of rope and tugged on it a little. Nothing. He pulled with all his might and the rope didn't budge. "...the hell..."

"Mr. Havoc." He turned to face the door, hiding the rope behind his back. "Are you done?" He nodded, dropping the rope to the floor.

"Uh, right, lets go." So much for his daring rescue, she just didn't want to get dirty; Havoc couldn't help but feel he wasted his time. As if from hell, another scruffy man jumped from out of no where.

"You want to defend that bitch Rose! Then you'll burn in hell!" He had a detonator in his hand, the lever was up and ready to be ignited. Havoc took a step back.

"Hold on a sec." Catherine ran up to Havoc and took his arm.

"Havoc." He could see she was frightened. The man had a wild look in his eyes and was almost slobbering. He looked terrible and had this savage aura about him.

"Just calm down..." Havoc bit his lip; he was no negotiator, he was a combatant. Catherine cringed and covered her ears. With that sudden movement the man quickly pushed down on the trigger.

"Buh bye!" With loud bangs sounding in the distance he jumped out the window to safety. There was another explosion, this time it was right above them, it cause the half the room to collapse.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and quickly ran out of the room and proceeded to go down the hall. The walls were almost completely covered in fire. "Kerosene!" That was what he was smelling before, the terrorists must have know they wouldn't be able to outgun the military, but burring them would be just as good. Catherine tripped and skinned her shoulder.

"Ow." Havoc gritted his teeth.

"We don't have time for this, hurry." With that he picked her up in his arms and ran, all the while trying his best to navigate his way out of the church.

"Down that way." Catherine pointed down another long hallway. "The exit is down the stairs at the end of this hall. HE nodded and sprinted with all his might down the hall. Only halfway through the corridor they could both see off in the distance that the stairs were on fire and the main entrance was buried in rubble. Catherine began to cough and her eyes were drooping.

"Don't you pass out on me, we'll get out of here." He tried to encourage her. 'This doesn't look good.' He looked back the other way, there had to be some other way out.

* * *

"Are they still in there?" Roy tapped his foot impatiently. The doors of the church were wide open and what little water they had was being used to try to control the fire. Then they saw a figure walking through the flames carrying someone in their arms, they seemed to be draped lifelessly there. "They made it!" Roy gave a sigh of relief at the two figures approached the door.

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I hope my lovely reviewers stick with me, I really appreciat the support.

Sorry this chapter was so long, the next one won't be as painful. :)


	6. Chapter 6 Red Strokes

I got this idea from listening to the song of the same name as the chapter. I don't know if it held any real significance, but the idea came to me whilst listening to it, so it must mean something.

**I hope you like it, I would love a few reviews; for the record, lots of fluffiness from here on out!**

**ENJOY :)**

**

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Chapter 6 - Red Strokes**

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"They're alright." Roy sighed as he watched the figures come closer and closer to view. "Huh?" As they got closer to the door, they became more visible, no longer shrouded by smoke and fire, it seemed that Cathrine was actually carrying Havoc in her arms. "What in the world?" Roy raised a disbelieving eyebrow. 

"Cathrine my dear sister!" Armstrong came up from nowhere and extended his arms in joy as his little sister emerged from the burning church with Havoc, who was a considerable amount taller than her, draped lifelessly over her arms. "What's wrong with Havoc?" She laid him on the ground.

"He got hit in the head with a falling beam." She pointed to a rather large lump on his head. It had a little bit of a burn on it. "Mr. Havoc?" She shook him. "Are you ok?" She lightly shook again.

"Quickly move! I must perform CPR to resurrect him!" Armstrong now had no shirt on and was flexing his biceps. No one knew where the shirt went or how it got there, it was just gone. "Breathe lieutenant Havoc!" Havoc raised a hand and covered Major Armstrong's face as it drew dangerously close to his own.

"That's alright I'm fine." He said quickly, a bit of a hoarse tone in his voice, he coughed rouhly. Armstrong wrapped his arms tightly around Jean.

"That's wonderful. Cathrine has saved you." He beamed and rose to his feet and placed a loving hand on his sister's shoulder. "You did a great job Cathrine." She nodded, smiled and then approached lieutenant Havoc.

"Mr. Havoc...I'd like to thank you for doing your best to rescue me. I really appreciate it." He smiled.

"No problem..." He seemed a little disheartened, this was his last chance with Cathrine and he knew it. There would be no other reason for them to ever meet again. He was a little sad, but glad that she was unharmed.

"You made me realize something today." The few who were around, Mustang, Armstrong and Riza, who had just approached them. Havoc raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" She smiled an lowered her head.

"You made me realized how weak people can be." He felt a knife go through his heart. "But at the same time, you made me realize how strong I could be." The pain lessened. "When I saw you doing everything you could to help me I was moved." Less. "And then when that fiery beam knocked you out, I felt I had to do the same for you." Almost gone. "If it wasn't for this incident, I don't think I ever would have realized what I'm really capable of and just how strong I really am." Gone! He smiled.

"It's no problem--"

"Wait!" She cut him off. He seemed confused. "I also realize that if I remain as shy and demure as I am, I might not be able to help other people in the future. That's why I cam here to study, I wanted to get out on my own and grow. You've helped me do that." Everyone listened on with anticipation. "So that's two things you've helped me with...so I owe you...witch is why I'm asking you." There was a long pause. "Would you do me the honor of letting me take you out on a date?" She said, her cheeks blushing furiously as she bowed her head down.

"..." Havoc was at a loss for words.

"Please tell me you'll say yes." Her blush only deepened. Jean could only help but smile warmly. He gave a light chuckle.

"Of course." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank you!" Havoc gasped for air.

"Ok, that's a little too much affection." She was squeezing him rather tightly, she was just so happy to almost be over her overbearing shyness. She loosened her grip and Havoc finally managed to return the hug.

Roy smiled as he watched the scene unfold. Armstrong had rather comedic tears pouring down his cheeks. "So touching." He stammered. Riza smiled as well; quickly getting back on track, she gave Roy a tap on the shoulder.

"The Elric's are ready to be deployed as soon as the fire is under control." Roy nodded and addressed the squadron.

"Alright everyone, let's get that fire out! And find that lunatic who cause the explosion! Move it!" The crew gave a 'Sir' in approval and worked hard at the fire from there on out.

----

Later on that day, when the fire was extinguished, Rose looked at her church, it was in ruins. She turned to Ed and Al with a smile. The two boys were now standing in front of the dilapidated building awaiting the orders to repair the church. "Do you think you can repair it?" Rose seemed hopeful as they nodded.

"It'll be no problem." Ed folded his arms.

"Yeah, none at all, this is baby stuff for the both of us." Al gave her a reassuring smile. Rose nodded. Just then, Roy appeared behind them with Riza.

"We've just received conformation that the fire has been extinguished completely. You can get to fixing up the church now." Riza announced to them and they nodded;approachingthe building the readied themselves.

"Alright Al, you do the frame work with walls and floors, and I fix all the details on the interior and exterior." Al gave him a skeptical glance.

"You know very well that I'm better with small details." Ed nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll pay attention to detail, I have something I want to do to the church, I've been wanting to do this since I got here. I saw it in a book on Letoisim, it'll be great." Al shrugged.

"I better not have to go behind you and fix it." Ed smirked.

"Like I said, no worries, it'll be a work of art that no one will soon forget." With that they both clapped their hands together and placed them down on the front stairs of the church, Al had a transmutation circle on his glove, so it was possible for him. A blue alchemic flash and then lightening engulfed the church with all it's might. Everyone in the area averted their eyes in the brilliant light's presence, but as it faded they looked up at the church in awe. Ed was in no way kidding, he, without a doubt, made a work of art.

Where the statues of Leto were on the outside, every second one was replaced with a rather scary looking demon. The balcony's were crafted with stone skulls and thorny stone rose vines. The stairs were the only part of the church that remained relatively painless; on either side, Ed created two rather ominous looking statues of the Sun god.

"Wow...you really weren't kidding." Al sweat dropped. "But did you have to make it so..." Riza chimed in.

"Dark and scary?" She bit her bottom lip as Ed shot a glare at them all.

"Are you criticizing my work?" They all shook their heads.

"Brother, don't you think you could have made it--" Rose broke into the conversation.

"Any more perfect?" They turned to Rose, she was in complete awe, her hands were clasped together and her eyes were all sparkly.

"Perfect?" Al seemed disbelieving.

"Yes, it's perfect!" She exclaimed. "You see, religion cannot exist without out two aspects. Good and evil. Without one, the other would be meaningless." Ed smiled.

"There you go, Rose likes it. She knows talent when she sees it!" He triumphantly place dhisfists on his hips.Rose nodded.

"I love it Ed, thank you." She smiled.

Havoc and Cathrine watched on from the back of one of the trucks. They heard all that Rose had to say. "You know Mr. Havoc..." He put an arm around her.

"You _can_ call me Jean you know." She giggled.

"Right. Jean, I know what Rose is talking about. I was so shy and proper that I missed out on a lot of things. Beauty and perfection is one thing, but with no ambition and courage, it's truly all meaningless." She rested her eyes and leaned against Havoc's shoulder. "Thank you." He laid his chin on top her head.

"Don't mention it." They sat there quietly enjoying the red drenched sunset.

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FINALLY THE PLOT BUILDING IS DONE! I'm so glad to be over that hurtle, now we can get to the actual point of the story. 

I hope you enjoyed the quality and shortness of the chapter. I did my best to end off with a little romance. Hmm. They make such a cute couple. grins

**Chapter 7 -** _Everyone heads back to central for a celebration, Ed, Al and Winry get the task of babysitting Ravi._

Cute fluffyness awaits you all! (A treat for ShadowCloud62 coming soon!)


	7. Chapter 7 Lost and Found

Sorry for the late update, I told you there would be fluff and this chapter is setting up for it big time...you never know...in the next chapter...there might be a _kiss_...you never know...Read on. And please, if you read...leave a review. I have hundreds of hits...but only a few reviews. So come on, a few kind words won't kill ya :)

Thanks again for reviewing guys! Hope you like this one.

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**Chapter7 - Lost and Found

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**

"So you really don't mind?" Rose rubbed the cheek of her little Ravi. Winry nodded and smiled, Ed sat on the coach in the living room as he listened on, a rather pissy look on his face.

"I told you I _really_ don't mind Rose, I like Ravi, he's really sweet." Ravi gave a coo of approval. "See, he doesn't mind either. Besides, I feel bad after what happened at the military banqutte a couple months ago; I don't really feel I should go to this one." Ed yelled in form the other room.

"I don't feel bad about it. I should be able to go!" Winry whipped around.

"Well you should feel bad!" She gritted her teeth. Winry could hear him put up a fuss folowed up by Al trying to coax him into setteling down.

"Come on, we had our fun last time." Ed sighed.

"I guess." Winry smiled as she turned back to Rose.

"We'll do just fine, I know plenty about taking care of kids, I babysat back in my home Resembool. You can go have a good time tonight." Rose thought about it for a minute; she then smiled.

"Alright, but call me at the mess hall if something goes wrong." Winry nodded.

"Of course." Rose walked down the stairs. "Say bye to mommy." Winry waved his little hand. Rose smiled and waved back. Winry propped the little baby up in her arms. He was so fun to hold, so warm and soft, he was like a little moving stuffed toy. She entered the living room only to see Ed, still pissed off and Al laying out on the coach.

"I still don't know why I couldn't go." Winry motioned to the baby.

"I need someone to help me with the baby, and only asking one of your wouldn't be fair; so you both get to help." Al smiled.

"Yeah brother, let Rose have her time alone with Kain tonight, they haven't seen one another in almost a year." Ed nodded.

"I suppose...but I'm not changing any diapers." Winry nodded.

"Alright, I just need you to help me feed him and put him to bed. I also wanted you two here to keep me company." Winry smiled sweetly. Ed closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"I guess I can't argue with that, it'd be pretty mean to go without you anyway." He sat back on the coach and slumped down. Winry stood up holding the baby. They talked for a few minutes and then, the fun began. The baby started to wail.

"The hell?" Ed loked at the baby. "What's wrong with him? Is he hungry?" Winry shook her head.

"I don't think so, he just ate." Winry stated. Al thenpiped up.

"Hey, maybe he needs a diaper change." Al put his hands up. "I'm not doing it though, I don't know how." Winry poked the front of the diaper and then checke down then back.

"No...nothing...he just woke up so he can't be tired...what could be wrong." They tried everything, rocking him, holding him still, wrapping him in a blanket and noting worked.

"Let me try." Ed took the baby from Winry and tried to calm him down. "Come on Ravi, quiet down." Ed looked so cute holding the baby and bouncing him lightly. "Even if you just turned it down a little." He rubbed the baby's back with his automail while balancing him on his left arm. Jsut then.

"Burrrrrrrp." The baby burped rather loudly.

"..." Ed looked like he had just seen a ghost; he leaned his head back and looked at the baby and then to the shoulder of his black coat. "Wow..." He smiled as the baby setteled down. "I guess you just had a pain in your stomach, huh?" The baby burped a little bit again. "Heh...real cute." Ed sweat-dropped. He bounced the baby.

"Way to go Ed, I guess I forgot to burp him after I fed him." Al nodded.

"Yeah, looks like your cut out to do this." Al smiled.

"I don't think so...uh..." He looked at the baby who was just resting on his shoulder babbling to himself. "Umm Winry...why is my arm getting warm?" Winry snickered.

"Well...he might be releiving himself." Ed lifted the baby under the arms.

"Take it! Take it now!" He held the baby out to Winry who could only laugh.

"Come on Ravi, let's get you changed." Winry left the room with the baby in her arms. Ed frantically checked the arm of his coat.

"He had a diaper on Ed, don't worry." Ed took off his coat and checked it better.

"It's still gross...baby's may be cute, but they can be incredibly gross at times." Al agreed.

The night passed slowly, the baby was well behaved and quite pleasent. He ate, was burped and changed once more then it was off to bed for the night. The three of them sat in the living room, trying to gater up a few memories from the military banquette when the phone rang. Winry got up from her seat and headed towards the phone. Grabbing the phone she raised it to her ear.

"Hello?" She spoke into the reciever.

"Hi Winry, how's everything going? Are you guys doig ok with Ravi?" It was Rose; Winry could hear music in the background and many voices echoing through the line.

"Yeah, we're doing great, Ravi actually just went down for the night. He was no trouble at all." Rose laughed a little.

"Thats good to hear, he doesn't usually give me any trouble. I'm glad to hear it, I have to thank you again." Winry nodded.

"It's no problem I told you, you just go have fun." Winry could hear someone give a loud yelping 'woot' in the background. "Um...who was that?" Rose laughed again.

"Oh that." There was a couple seconds of silence. "That was Roy, I have no idea what he's doing...or trying to do." There was a loud crashing sound. "Oh my." Rose gasped then proceeded to laugh. "Do you kids need anything at all?" Winry shook her head.

"Oh no we're doing fine...and tell Roy to take it easy." Rose agreed.

"If I can find him, he dissappeared again. But I will tell him, he does have to work tomorrow." Winry smiled.

"Thanks for checking in Rose, have fun."

"We will, bye now."

"Bye." She hung up the phone. It sounded like the party was doing well, no problems; that was probably due to the fact that the three of them weren't there. She smiled and went back into the living room and sat on the coach next to Ed.

"What was that all about?" He inquired.

"Roy was being loud and rowdy. I imagine they're drinking." Ed nodded.

"Probably, they always drink at socials like that." Al shook his head. "I remember that picnic they had, I was still in the armor at the time, Havoc was pulling on my helmet trying to get it off." Ed and Winry laughed.

"Well Al, at least I got you out of that thing. But luckly the picnic was pretty fun anyway, besides Roy and Havoc's drunkness that is." Al nodded.

"Yeah, lucky for you maybe, being able to climb that tree to get away from them." Ed laughed.

"I would have loved to see Roy try to climb that tree to try and get me, it would have been pricless. He could barely walk let alone climb. But just remember, poor Hawkeye got the worst of it." Winry nodded.

"Yeah, I remember her having to drag them both home on her shoulders. They were so messed up." They all laughed about it. Looking back on times of crisis is a lot easier than dealing with them. Al stood up and stretched.

"You know what, I kind of want to go for a walk." He grabbed his coat from off the back of the chair. "Would you guys mind if I went out for a bit?" Ed seemed a little concerned.

"Are you sure you want to go out this late? Its like...eleven. Do you want me to go with you?" Al shook his head.

"Oh no, you can stay with Winry. I just need a little air, I'll be back in an hour...if it's ok that is." Ed raised an eyebrow.

"Well I don't mind...Winry?" She shrugged.

"Just be careful Al." She added. Al smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Al left out the door and closed it tightly behind him. Heading down the stairs he turned off to the right and began walking.

The night was cool and there was a nice breeze; nothing was bothering Al, he just wanted to go for a walk. That, and he wanted to give his brother some time alone with Winry. The last little while he had been noticing signs that Ed might be intrested in her, but he was always aroud Ed all the time, Ed never got the chance to talk to her alone. This was the perfect opurnity for him, if he didn't take it, he was stupider than Al had originally figured.

Ed was a smart guy when it came to his alchemy, but when it came to relationships, namely one's with females, he was dumb as a post. Hopefully he'd use this time to woo her in some way. But miracles didn't happen everyday. Al sighed.

"Hell, brother's probably going to go to bed." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued on in the familiar part of town.

* * *

"Hey Ed?" Winry looked up from her tea that she had just boiled. "Do you think something might be bothering Al?" Ed blew on the steam coming off his cup. He was sitting on the coach next to Winry with his feet curled up underneath him. 

"What could be bothering him?" She thought for a moment.

"I don't know...but him leaving like that just makes me think." Ed shrugged and upon doing so, something on the inside of his automail made a loud snapping sound.

"What the?" He tried to move his thumb and nothing happened. Winry laid her cup down.

"Let me see." Ed placed his cup down next to hers and held out his right automail hand. Winry moved the thumb. "It not jammed, so one of the cables must have broke." She clicked the forearm plate off and looked at the wireing. "Well...it's not this one." She replaced the plate and moved to the upper part of the arm. Removing the outer plating she looked in. "There it is." She pulled out a little elasic cord. It was still attached to the inside at the bottom, but it seemed to have snapped off at the top. "I see the problem." She held out the cord, there was a little broken rusty clip at the end. "I guess water got in here and rusted the connector...I thought I waterproofed everything. Oh well, I can replace this no problem." She stood up and headed to the kitchen where her tool kit was.

"You don't have to disconnect my arm do you?" There was silence and then Winry appeared through the door.

"It is easier for me to do if it's disconnected...I could try without taking your arm off...do you want me to do it that way." Ed nodded sheepishly. Though he was no stranger to pain, if he could avoid it, he did so.

"Thanks Winry." She smiled.

"Don't worry, It will be a little akward though...I'll have to get you to lay down. It connects in the front, and I don't feeling like putting a crick in my neck." Ed nodded. She hooked her thumb behind her. "You go lay down somewhere and I'll be in as soon as I find the right part." Ed nodded and rose. He headded upstairs, figuring a bed would be te best place to lay down. Hopping up onto the bed he placed his hands behind his head and waited.

All of a sudden, it hit him. He was laying down, in a bed, waitng for Winry to come up, to work on him. '_It's almost as if..._' Ed thought about the posibilities and where this could lead. Quickly he shook the though from his head as he head footsteps heading up the stairs. He didn't want to think about something like that; he was just hoping she didn't have to check his leg too, taking his pants off would only make his mind wanter even more. Ed became rather bothered and awkward, he was never alone with her like this, hopefully nothing bad would happen.

* * *

Al rounded a corner and headed down an alleyway, he had heard a cry for help and was ever present to lend a hand. There was a dog, he was barking rather loudly at the poor thing; a petiet orange kitty was stuck up on a big crate with his tail all puffed out. "Hey!" He yelled at the dog. "Get out of here." He approached it rather quickly. The dog let out a low growl and backed off slowly, Al faked an advance at the dog and he took off instantly. Smiling triumphantly he reached for the small animal. 

"Hey there." He scratched under the cat's chin. There was a small collar attached. "Oh, someone own you...are you lost? Or did you get locked out." The kitty let out a pleased purr. "Let's see if we can find out who own's you." Picking up the cat he flipped the tag over and read it aloud. "Kale?" He held the cat up on eye level. "You're Aria's cat!"

* * *

And there you go, the next chapter! It's lining up for some major fluff! I'd like some reviews to let me know what you think. And just so you know, Aria IS an OC, but that'll all get explained in the next chapter...whenever I get around to that. My dad's home from the states, so i'll be spending some time by the pool, so my chapters will be delayed. Hopefully not by too much. 

If you don't want to wait to find out who Aria is and what she's all about, just read "Promise", it'll explain everything. And NO, she's not a Mary Sue, so you have nothing to fear, i pride myself on my writing, a Mary Sue in one of my stories would descrace me to the point of commiting Harry Carry. So, you can read it and enjoy it.

**Chapter 7 -** _Ed's in bed with Winry fixing his automail...what could be going on in **Winry's** mind. Al meet's up with an old friend who needs his help._

I'm so happy with my reviewers! Thank you so much for sticking with me!

PS. I lost my spell checking program! So don't mention the spelling, I already know it blows!¬-¬


	8. Chapter 8 Reunite

Yeah...when I said "Chapter 7" preview...I imagine you figured out that it MEANT chapter 8...oh well. You get the point. And yes, if you want to know what happened at the banquette, read "Misunderstanding" You don't have to, it poses no significance, it's just a funny side story. 4 Chapters, like "Promise".

And no one got the refrence! The picnic? No one caught that? From the sixth DVD case there's a picture of Ed and Winry sitting in a tree and behind there everyone having a picnic and Havoc is pulling on that long strand of...what ever it is, coming off of Al's helmet. They're all loaded. And Riza is not having fun. It's one of my favourite pics.

I'm taking some advice form Caitlin, she gave me a good example of how to fix my problem of who's speaking. I'm going to do my best this time and try to correct the error, if I do, I will have grown a little in my writings! Thanks for the reviews guys, they really help.

And once more...no spell check...sorry. :(

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Chapter 8 - Re-Unite

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"Hey Ed..." Winry said as she walked through the bedroom door, she saw him laying there with his left hand behind his head and his automail resting on his stomach. She laid her toolbox down next to him. "I need to get you to straighten your arm out and keep your back flat." Ed took his arm from behind his head dragging the pillow behind. Winry thought for a moment.

Ed lifted his head and looked at her. "Is there a problem?"

Winry shook her head. "What?" As if distracted. "No..it's jsut going to be awkward to get at where the clip is. Scoot over." Ed looked over and moved to the center of the bed. "I should be able to do this." She took out her screwdriver and sat on the bed next to Edward. Unacrewing the outer plating she got at the main skeleton on the inside of the automail.

Ed watched her carefully, to see if she had any altereior motives. "How long will this take?" He questioned her as she poked around inside his arm.

"Well," She began. "It all depends on if I find that other broken piece or not. The actual repairs will take all of five minutes." She squinted. "I can't see a damn thing." She slid off the bed onto the floor; searcing through her toolbox she found a small pen flashlight and a pair of needle nose plyers. Jumping back up to the bed she held the flashlight in one hand and the plyers in the other; she searched the shoulder area for the broken clip. "Here we go. Now let's see...Ed, rotate your shoulder." As he did soething metalic could be heard clinking.

"Was that it?" Ed asked. "Because that felt a little weird."

She nodded. "Yeah...I think I see it." She jumped over to the other side of him and laid across his chest. An enevitable blush crept up on Ed's face. "Almost...almost..." She fished very carefully on the inside. "Got it!" She exclaimed.

Ed was relieved. _'Mind out of the gutter, mind out of the gutter.'_ He thought to himself. Ed had never been that close to Winry before, it was hard to keep his concentration.

Winry took the new waterproof clip out of her pocket and made sure it wasn't damaged. "Alright Ed, it's almost inside your shoulder, so your going to have to pardon my intrusion a little longer...you don't mind do you?" Ed shook his head. "Good then." She looked inside once more then laid completly on top of him. Winry looked up at Ed's face, he was red as a beat and trying not to make eye contact; she was afraid he was going to stare a dent in the celing. "You ok with this?"

Ed nodded once more. "Yeah." he tried his hardest not to think, if he accidently start moving in on Winry she more than likely would _wrench_ him right in the head. All she had on hand was a pair of shapr needle nose plyers, so this made Ed worry.

"I won't be too long..." She leaned down close and allowed her entire weight lay on top of him. Ed swallowed hard. "Just get this here..." She undid the grip on the rusted clip and tossed it in her toolbox and then placing the new clip around the attachment at the end of the cord, she tightened it with the plyers. Giving it a tug she smiled. "There, now that should hold for a good long while." She took the hook on the end in the grip of her plyers and leaned in closer, she had the flashlight positioned on the bed in such a way that it lit just where she needed to see.

Ed gave a sigh. "I thought you said this wasn't going to take long." He said rather emotionlessly.

Winry nodded. "Just give me a second." Without even realizing, Ed's free hand rested on Winry's right leg. His thumb rubbed over her skin.

'_So soft and warm...nice_.' He caught himself in what he was doing and removed the offending hand. '_She'll kill me...damn her and her short skirt!_' Remaining silent he felt Winry at the hook attachemt in his arm.

She tapped his shoulder. "Move this part down a little and bend your arm." She said without looking up, Ed obeyed. "There we go, I thought that would help." She finally managed to get the little clip around the hook. "I'm just going to check the to make sure no others are rusted, alright?"

Ed nodded. "Sure." Winry scratched at the connector for his index finger, and nothing. The middle finger, nothing. She proceeded to check the rest and when she was almost done, she looked up at Ed who was very intently staring at the celing.

"Um Ed?" Winry asked with a rather bland tone.

He looked in her direction. "What?"

She sighed. "Why are you rubbing my leg?" Ed looked down at his hand, once again it had found it's way to her leg.

"Gah! Sorry." He blushed a rather deep shade of red. Quickly he took hold of the blanket as to avoid any further embarassment.

* * *

Al just stood there in a sweet embrace with the young Aria in his arms. "What in the world are you doing in Central? It thought you lived in Lush?" 

She nodded as she backed away from the hug. "Well I do...It's just that Felix and I just got married yesterday." She looked down at her ring with remorse. Al feigned a smile, he knew that Aria didnt want this arranged marraige to go over.

Resting a reasuring hand on her shoulder he smiled. "I'm sure you'll make the best of it."

Aria smiled back. "Thanks Al, that means a lot coming from you." She demurely played with a strand of hair.

"So, are you guys in Central on your honey moon." Al was a little confused as to why she would take a honey moon here.

Aria rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I knew that on our honeymoon he would expect me to sleep with him, so I took off. We got married, but the contract said nothing about me having to stay there. It also said nothing about sleeping with him." She laughed a little.

Al was in shock, he couldn't believe his ears. "So where are you staying then?"

She shrugged. "An inn...but they're all booked up right now, I'm having trouble finding a place."

He took her hand and smiled a big toothy grin. "Well, we're babysitting for the Hughes, I imagine you could crash there tonight till you find somewhere else to go."

Aria's eyes brightened. "Really! Thank you so much Al." The two of them began the walk back to the house, Kale walking around them and intertwinig himself between their legs.

* * *

Winry checked the last clip and then she sat up, still balancing herself on his chest and she stretched. 

"That was a little more dificult than it needed to be. You should have just let me take the arm off...huh?" She looked behind her down to Edward's automail leg. "Hey Ed." She leaned back and then turned her head to look at him. "Move your ankle."

His mind raced. '_Nothing good can come from this._' He thought. "Sure." He flexed his ankle up and down, now to him, nothing seemed wrong.However, this was Winry, she could hear things that no one else could. "Is there soemthing wrong?"

She turned around and sat backward while still on top of him. "There's something jammed in there...a rock maybe." She leaned in almost giving Ed a rather good view right up her skirt.

'_Must not look...it's not right._' He bit his lip and slowly tilted his head to the side.

"Ed?"

Ed quickly snapped his head into an upright position. "What?" '_She noticed I was trying to peek, I'm a dead man!_'

"I need to get this out of here or I'll go crazy" She looked in the joint of the ankle and grabbed ahold of the rock with her needle nosed plyers, she pulled but it was wedged in there good. "Alright Ed, hold me still." With that, Ed, very carefully, placed his hands on her hips and held her in place. With all her might she tried to pull that little rock free. "Hmmm." She gritted her teeth and went back to a resting state. "Try again." She pulled harder, this time, she leaned backwards.

"Maybe you could just take the leg off." Ed chimmed in.

Winry shook her head. "Oh don't you worry, I'll get it." She pulled again and Ed shut his eyes. He couldn't even begin to imagine how wrong this looked.

* * *

"It's a shame the baby's asleep, he's really cute." Al opened the front door and looked around. Aria followed closely beind him. "That's weird, I figured they'd wait up for me." Al folded his arms. "Oh well, no sense in just standing here." 

Aria shut the door behind her. "They? Is there someone else here?"

Al nodded. "Yeah, our friend Winry...I wonder where they could be at."

Aria gave a sweet smile. "Maybe they're spendig some alone time together." Al laughed. "What?"

He brushed it off. "Oh no, Ed isn't dating Winry, he likes her, but they're only friends." Just then Al could hear a noise coming from upstairs. "What was that?" He listened harder. "I think they're upstairs...sounds like an argument." He smiled and turned to Aria who had her kitty in toe. "I'd better go break it up."

"Alright, is it ok if I wait in the living room?" She pointe to the coach.

Al nodded. "Yeah, just make yourslef at home." With that said he headed upstairs. The sound was coming in from the bedroom. The door was opened slightly so Al pushed it open only to find Winry perched on top of his brother and making a rather prodominant humping motion.

"**GAH**!" He closed his eyes and slammed the door. "For crying out loud Ed! You could have at least shut the door!" He raised his hands as if to say 'Don't want to go there' and then left back downstairs.

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Yea! Another chapter finished! I hope you liked it. 

I decided not to put and Ed and Winry stuff in here right now, this time is for Al and Aria, but as soon as I'm done with them I'll be sure to give you guys a good helping of EdxWin goodness!

**Chapter 9 -** _Aria tells her story to Ed, Al and Winry. They try to come up with a plan to break the contract._

See you guys soon...and maybe by then, I'll have a spell checking program. (dies)


	9. Chapter 9 The Plan Unfolds

OMG YOU GUYS I"'M SO HAPPY! You have to check this out. I mailed Vic Mignogna (Ed's voice actor) And I asked if it was ok if he were to post a comment on one of Raeven't pictures...AND HE DID! GAH! (Dies)

Go to the second page, it's theone of her side view profile, he left a comment, I'm so happy! But yes, Raeven is a big FMA fan, when she hears Ed's voice, she tries her hardest to find the TV. She loves the color red, so seeing Ed is a big treat for her. I thought it was so cute, so I told Vic this and he replied with that! I'm sooooooo happy right now!

Anyway...moving right along. (Ahem) I'm sorry for not posting sooner, I said I would get it up before the night's out, but I didn't get it finished on time. My appoligies if it's a little rushed and not spell checked, I don't have a spell check yet, so bare with me. Thanks again to all my lovely reviewers! I love you all!

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 9 - The Plan Unfolds**

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"That was just way too much." Al came down the stairs and right into the living room. 

Aria looked up at him. "What's wrong Al?"

He shook his head. "Ah...nothing." Trying frantically to whipe the image from his mind. He should have known that leaving them alone like that would either lead to one of two things; either them arguing or doing something like that. He shivered and sat on the coach.

* * *

"So...do you think he thought we were...?" Ed motioned to the bed. 

Winry nodded. "Yeah, probably..." They sat there in awkward silence for only a few moments before Winry piped back up. "Anyway, we're done here. All I have to do is screw you and we're done."

Ed's eyes widened as he looked at her. "What!"

Winry waved her arms frantically. "I mean screw your arm!" Ed blushed. Winry stood up and covered her face. "I have to screw the arm plate back on." She said in an unaturally calm tone.

"Uh, ok..." Ed half smiled, his face was all red, as was hers. Awkwardness seemed to be the theme in the room right then and there. She quickly replaced the upper arm plate and sunk to the floor and sat next to her toolbox. She placed the few tools she was using back where they belonged and closed the cover. She couldn't believe that she said that, Ed must have thought that she was thinking something naughty. Technically she was, but she didn't want to let on that she was.

"Thanks again Winry." Edward broke the silence. "You did me good...I mean...you do my matinence good." That time he had slipped; he blushed and averted his gaze to the door.

Winry smiled pushing all the uneasy feelings aside. "No problem...umm..." She said sheepishly. "Ed..."

He looked at her with question in his eyes and still a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "What?"

"I was wondering..." She searched for words. "If you're not too busy tomorrow...would it be ok if I talked to you about someting?" He seemed a little taken back, what in the world could it be about? "It's noting serious, just something I need to know."

He nodded. "Alright then." Ed seemed a little worried; even if it was nothing important, it still bugged him. The two of them headed downstairs. Upon entering the living room they could see that Al was not alone. He had a girl with him, she had long red hair and was wearing a pretty white sun dress with a floral print on it.

Ed looked at the girl and recognized her instantly. "Aria? What in the world are you doing here?" Ed looked at Aria and then to his brother who was giving him a rather odd look. "Al, we weren't doing anything. Don't be so freaked out. Nothing happened."

Al turned his head. "It didn't look like 'nothing'." He bit his lip.

Ed sat down on the coach across from Al. "She was fixing my ankle, nothing more." Al rolled his eyes. "We weren't!"

Winry interveaned. "So anyway, who's this girl Al? Is she your girlfriend?" She asked with a sly tone in her voice. All Al could do was blush.

Aria folded her hands together as her kitty lay asleep next to her. "Well, I'm here because I'm trying to fix a certain aspect of my life. And sadly no, we're not dating, I'm married." She held up the wedding ring that she had recieveda day ago.

Winry smiled. "Well isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah, why do you seem so sad?" Ed added in.

Aria sighed. "Well, you see, it was an arranged marriage. I really don't like this man and I want to get away from him, far away. So after our wedding I drugged him with some sleep inducing herbs and took off. Tonight was suppose to be out weding night."

Al placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know it's kind of mean to say, but you can't run from him for long...you're going to have to face him sometime."

She nodded. "I know, but I'm doing everything I can to try and void this wedding. I know if I look hard enough in the contract I'll find some kind of loophole." She tugged at one of her red locks of hair. "That's why I came to Central, the only other two coppies of the contract are in the libraries here. I know one of the libraries burnt down, but the other one is still standing. I need to go there and get it...and now that I've run into you guys, this task has gotten a little easier." They seemed confused. Aria continued.

"You see, I know where the papers are but I can't get to them, they're under the militaries watchfull eye. I can't do anything on my own. At first I was going to have to steal them, but if you guy's were to get them for me, it would help me out so much."

Ed was a little confused. "What exactally do you plan to do?"

Aria shrugged. "I haven't figured that out yet, but if there's some hidden clause that I don't know about in the contract, I'll be able to go from there. I'll need help to get it done. Would you guys mind giving me a hand?"

Ed nodded. "I don't see why we couldn't give it a look. I mean, I have friends in high places...well not really a friend."

Al butted in. "You like Roy and you know it brother." Ed turned his nose up. "I'm sure he'll help us help a pretty girl, you know how he is."

"Yeah sure." Ed scoffed. "He'd probably want a date or something from her before he lifted a finger to help anyone." Aria sighed. "And being stuck with one lame ass is enough for her I'd imagine."

"Thank you Ed. Thank you Al...and I wasn't introduced to you yet." Aria smiled.

"Oh? My name's Winry Rockbell, it's nice to meet you." They seemed to get along pretty good, chatting and carrying on. They discussed it a little further and then Ed, Al, Winry and Aria decided that it would be best to confront Roy as soon as possible to get those documents from him. So first thing in the morning would be the best idea.

* * *

"Hey Mustang." Ed boomed as he stood infront of Roy's desk. "I need you to sign this paper allowing me to access the family issuses section in the library vault." Roy nochalantly rotated his chair and looked right at Ed; Ed's face instantly turned sour. "Wow Mustang, you look like hell." Roy looked as though he hadn't slept in a week or two.

"...You give me a good reason why I should do that now?" Roy said, a rather smug tone in his voice, or was that nausea?

Ed placed his hands on his hips. "Come on, you'll be helping us help a pretty girl."

Roy lowered his head. "You know...right now, I don't really care about helping any pretty girls, all I want, is to get rid of this hangover. So unless she can do that, it's out of the question." He once more rotated his chair around and faced out the window.

Ed smirked. "What if she could?"

Roy raised an eyebrow and then spun around again in his chair and looked at Ed with disbelief. "I'll buy that when it happens Ed."

Ed raised his hands up in defence. "Wait right here, I'll go talk to her." With that said Ed took off out of the office, slamming the heavy wooden framed dooron the way out. Roy cringed at the loud noise and rested his head down on his desk. He gave a groan and shut his eyes.

* * *

"A hangover, how bad?"Aria asked with curiosity.

Ed raised his eyebrows and nodded. "He looks half dead."

Aria thought to herself for a moment. "That's no trouble to make a remedy...except that I don't have any herbs here, I would have to go out and buy some." She smiled. "I think I have enough to pay for my hotel and some herbs, so it'll be no big deal." Aria fiddled around in her waist pouch to see her current funds.

"Nonsense." Gracia piped up. "You don't need any of that. Feel free to stay as long as you like, you and Winry can keep Elecia company."

Winry added in. "Yeah, and if all goes well, you can come back and live with us in resembool until you get back on your feet. Since you're good with gardening it'll be the perfect place for you."

Aria smiled wide and clasped her hands together. "You really meant it? That would be perfect. I like my hometown...but right now it's harboring some bad memories, I wouldn't mind getting rid of them and moving on. It's not like I have someone or somewhere to go home to." She nodded. "Let's just hope this all works." She rose from the coach where she had been sitting for the last little while and turned to the living room door to where Ed was standing, she could see Al close behind him.

Ed unfolded his arms. "Well, you should get going." Al seemed a little confused by his brother's statement. "What? You know I hate the heat, you two go ahead, I'll stay here. I need to get something to eat anyway."

Al nodded and made eye contact with Aria. "Alright then, let's go."

Aria smiled and followed behind Al. "Right."

The two of them headed out the door and it was off to the market. Ed smiled and sat down on the coach next to Winry.

Gracia gave him an odd glance. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Ed shrugged. "Al really likes this girl, I'd feel too much like a third wheel." They all smiled.

* * *

"So Aria, what exactally are you looking for?" Al placed his hands in his pants pockets, normally he'd put them in his coat pockets, but it was way to warm for anything more than a t-shirt today. The sun was boiling hot but luckily there was a nice breeze coming off the lake.

She smiled and turned around to face him, she walked backwards a few steps. "Just a few esentials to replenish the body. Alcohol dries out your system to the point of dehydration, so it's important to drink lots of liquids." She seemed to know what she was talking about, it seemed to Al that this has come up before. She continued.

"But if this Roy guy is as sick as Ed says he is, drinking lots of water would probably turn his stomach." She checked her funds. "Luckily I know a good combonation of herbs that'll not only get rid of the nausea and headache, but will increase his appatite and give him lot's of nutrients." She placed her fists on her hips.

Al was shocked that she knew so much. "So, how did you come across all this knowledge?"

Aria placed a finger up to her lips as if to say 'shh'. "It's a family trade secret. Now let's see..." She looked around. "I just need to find the right kind of shop."

An hour or so passed when Aria finally found what she was looking for. "This one." She pointed to a little upstairs shop. It was rather dingy looking and seemed to have a bit of an errie feel to it.

Al was skeptical. "Are you sure this is a good place?"

She nodded. "Yes, just wait here, I'll be right out. Not to be rude, but I need to buy a special herb to make the remedy, sadly, this one's a secret. So could you stay here?" Al nodded. "Thank you." With that she bolted up the stairs on the side of the building and then headded inside.

He watched her dissapear inside the little store and emerge only but a few minutes later, a big smile on her face. "Did you get what you need?"

Aria smiled. "Yup. Now let's head back to the grocers, I need to pick up the rest of the ingredients." She paused and turned to him. "Al..." He stopped and looked at her. "I just wanted to thank you and for helping me...Ed too...it's just that I was so scared that I'd get taken back to my home...I'm so happy that I found you again." She blushed a little.

Al could only help but smile and even blush a little himself. "You're welcome...but I really don't mind at all, I'm just glad to help someone in need." He blushed a bit deeper.

"Come on Al, let's hurry, that poor Roy guy must be suffering." He nodded and walked behind her. He watched her, going up to different little stalls in the market, they lined the sides, so it was easy to jump from one to another. He watched her fuss over quality and ripeness also for any flaws. Every so often she would stop and ask him if this looked discolored or if this had an off smell to it. She was very thorough with her work. Al thought about them as if they were on a date, it was a nice feeling.

"Umm, Al." She said rather quietly.

"Huh?" He snapped out of his daze, his thoughts were trailing off, but remembering she was a married woman killed this fantasy instantly. "Sorry...what is it?"

She smiled sweetly. "I'm finished, we should get back, I need to prepare this." He nodded. The two of them walked back to the Hughes home talking the whole way.

* * *

There you all go, I hope you liked it. Tell me what you think, Read and review please. 

**Chapter 10 -** _Will Aria manage to help mustang? What is this question that Winry needs to ask Ed?_

See you all soon! (It's bad preview, but it WILL be a good chapter!)


	10. Chapter 10 A Cure

...I am so sorry that this chapter is so long...I hope you can get through it, it's 550 more words than I like to post at one time, but it's meaningful...so yeah, tell me what you think, and if you can only get halfway though, that's ok, just review on what you read.**

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**Chapter 10 -The Cure**

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**

"How long has she been in there?" Ed asked as he sipped his icey cool glass of juice. "Mustang's going to be dead before she get's to him."

Al smiled. "Don't worry." Al sat on the small armchair next to the coach. "I'm sure she'sll be done soon." Ed took another sip of his drink. Al looked up, there was a strange noise coming form the room upstairs. "What was that?"

Ed looked up too. "I didn't hear anything." The sound happened again. "You mean that?" Ed took another sip of his drink. "It sounds like she's using alchemy. Ask her when she comes back down." Al nodded as Ed turned and entered the kitchen. He looked around, all he could see was Winry sitting at the table looking off into the distance.

The sun was shining in the window and reflecting off her long shimmering blond hair. From occasionally sitting out sunning on the back steps of her house, her skin had developed a base tan which only helped to excentuate her beauty. He then quickly caught himself, these kinds of thoughts never crept up on him, at least not while anyone was in the room. He found himself in awe just at the meer sight of her. Without another though he averted his gaze to out the window to where she was looking.

"So, what are you looking at?" Ed said as htough he wasn't hiding back a blush behind his long bangs.

Winry looked at Ed, she hadn't even noticed him come in the room. He had a nice tan, it was probably from playing with the dog outside for the past week. He was incredibly good looking, she never really took the time out to appreciate it; she also never really did think to tell him that she though he looked amazing. She blushed a little. "Oh nothing, I'm just watching the cars go by." That was believable, in resembool they were lucky to see even one car in the run of a day. "Did you need something?" She asked with a remenants of a smile.

Ed took a sip of his juice and laid it down on the table. "Well..." He began. "You said tht you wanted to talk to me about something. I figure since I'm not busy, we could talk now." He stood there, a hand on one hip and the other one just hanging by his side.

Winry shook her head. "Not righ tnow Ed...a little later on." She seemed really shy about the whole thing. He couldn't begin to imagine what she wanted to say; truth be told, he imagined a lot of things, just the things that he was picturing were never any good...

* * *

Sparkly and shiniy bubbles appeared everywhere signifiying a dream sequence. Winry ran into the mans arms and rested her head on his chest. "You're so amazing, handsom, so tall and youtfull too. Oh Russle! Take me away from that shrimp." He warppaed his arms around her and held her tight. 

"There's no need to worry, he so small we can't see him anyway." Russel looked down at the litle imaginary Edward and lifted his foot up and stepped him out. The laughedcurely and then just as they were about to kiss the 'real' Ed inturpted the dream process.

* * *

He shook his head and allows the facts to sink in. '_She wouldn't do that..._' He smiled and grabbed his glass. "Alright then." He said cooly as if nothing was fazing him. "Later on then..." He walked out of the kitchen and back to the living room to see that Al was no longer there. "Al?" He checked up the stairs and heard his voice. He smirked, this was the first time he'd actually seen his little brother take intrest in a girl.

* * *

"Aria?" Al knocked lightly on the door. "Are you finished?" He awaited her answer, but there was nothing. "Aria?" He knocked again, but this time she opened the door with the home remedy in hand. 

She gave him a sweet smile. "Yes, I've finished." They headed downstairs where Ed and Winry were waiting in the living room now. Aria handed the little coucution over to Ed followed up by a couple of pills, there was about half a liter of white milky liquid and teh pills were hard and shiney, about the size of a pea. "Now there's a bit of a trick to this, you have to use this drink and take these pills. Wait 20 minutes and the illness should be gone. It's best if he takes a short power nap while these take effect; you get better results that way."

Ed popped the top off the dirnk and sniffed it, he quickly turned his head in disgust. "AH! That smells nasty...what's in it?" He asked as he held his nose.

Winry spoke from the other side of the room. "It is really stong...that smells like...garlic?"

Aria nodded. "Garlic has many healing powers that a lot of people don't know about."

"Was that what you needed to get from that little second story store?" Al added.

All she could do was shake her head and say. "I really should tell, it's a family secret." She looked at Ed. "You should get that to Roy, get him to drink it all with those two pills. If he doesn't, they won't work." She took the bottle in both hands while Ed was still holding it. "Tell him I said 'Trust me, it'll work.'"

Ed rose form where he was sitting. "Alright." He popped the cap back on the bottle. "I have faith in your abilities." Aria nodded. "I'm off." With that Ed headded out the front door.

Al turned to Aria again. "Hey, I almost forgot; I heard you using alchemy up there a little while ago. I didn't know that you knew alchemy."

Aria smiled. "Well, I only know enough to help me with my medicine, I only use it to condense material into pill form. Anything beyond that I can't do." She took a seat across form Al. "Now all we can do is wait. I hope he drinks it."

* * *

"What in the hell is this?" He turned his head in disgust, of course, Roy had the same reaction that Ed had. "I can't drink this." 

Ed lowered his head. "You have to, this girl really needs your help. And she said before I left, 'Trust me, it'll work.' Just drink it Mustang." Roy gave him a skeptical, glance and popped the two pills in his mouth and whilst holding his nose he downed the drink. It took him a couple of tries, but he managed to get it all down. "There...was that so bad?"

Roy nodded and covered his mouth. "Actually yes, it was."

Ed backed off. "You keep that down!" He yelled as he pointed afinger at him. "Just lay your head down and sleep...I'll come get you in a half hour." Ed calmed himself.

"This better work." Roy coverd his face with his hand and lowered his head into a sleeping position. Ed backed off out of the room and shut the lights off and closed the door.

Roy could feel his insides trying their hardest to reject the sour smelling liquid, but he held his own and dozed off to sleep in a matter of seconds.

* * *

Ed sat on the small arm chair outside his office when he tought to himself. _'I swear if he wastes all that...I'll kill him._' Ed knew that Al and Aria spent a good portion of the morning finding the ingredients for it. He wondered what that _'mystery ingredient_' was; paying it no mind he stood up, there was no point in waiting here, he figured that heading down to the cafeteria to get some food would be best, he still haden't eaten at all that day and it was almost eleven. 

The cafiteria was desolate, Mustang was lucky, today was not a very busy day at all; it looked as though his nap was going to go over well. Ed headed up to the front counter and ordered his lunch, soldiers didn't have to pay their dues till the end of the month, so Ed decided to splurge on lunch; he'd probably get a little bit of a bonus from Mustang for this one anyway.

A half hour passed with ease, Ed was full and in a rather good mood, he had a feeling all would go well. Aria had helped him once before with his motion sickness on the train that time, so this should have been a piece of cake for her.

Ed walked down the hallway to Roy's office, he could see under the door that the lights were still off. "Roy?" He knocked lightly on the door. Nothing. He tried again; stil nothing. "Hey Mustang?" He opene the door to find the Colonel still asleep in his chair with his head slumped off to the side. Ed was about to flick the lights on but decided to wait untill Roy was fully awake, that headache of his might not have left yet.

He approached his desk with caution; walking aroudn the back he laid a hand on Roy's shoulder and shook him lightly. "Hey...hey Roy...get up." Roy stirred and sat up. "How do you feel?" Ed asked with a bit of worry in his voice. Roy quickly covered his stomach again. "AH! Keep it to yourself!"

Roy then felt his head and then he looked at Ed. "I feel great...wow. Go get the ligths." Ed headed over to the opposide side of the room and flicked the lights on. Roy stood up, stretched and yawned. Straightening out his hair and uniform he gave Ed a satisifed smile. "I actually feel wonderful Ed. Give my regards to your friend."

"...and?" Ed folded his arms and tapped an annoyed foot.

"Oh yes." Roy reached into his desk, pulled out a paper, signed it and then handed it off to Ed. "Here you go. Just so you know, I was going to help you anyway. If I could get a little relief in the process was entirely consequential." Ed face-plamed. "Don't worry, we both got what we want." Roy walked over to the windows and threw the curtains open. He paused and took one of the curtains in his hand, he rubbed it between his fingers. "When did these get so soft? Oh well, hope you find what you're loking for Ed...but...before you go."

Ed turned around to face Roy. "What?"

Roy smiled. "How about you go get me something to eat." Roy fipped him some money.

Ed took it and narrowed his eyes. "I'm not your servant..." Ed waved a hand at him and headded back off to the cafeteria. "He seemed unusually cheerful...I guess that stuff really worked." He smiled, a small victory was one to be happy about. He rounded the corner and headed down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, he ran right into Hawkeye.

"Good morning Edward...what are you doing here? You're schedueled to work today." She greeted him, her ever present work ethic showing.

Ed nodded. "I know, I just had to get something from Roy."

"He's sick you know." She said with a half smile.

"_Was_ sick, he's fine now." Hawkeye's eyes brightened.

"Really?...I guess it's safe to go to his office then." Hawkeye knew that when Roy wasn't well, it was in everyones best intrest not to go near him. "That's good to hear, see you tomorrow Edward." She walked off up the stairs.

"Later!" Ed continued off in his direction to fetch Roy some food.

----

He got as much as he could with the money that Roy had given him. It was a pretty heafty load of food; he doubted that Roy would eat it all but at least he was sure he got something that he liked. When Ed returned to the office, Roy was signing papers left right and center. The two officers who were there, Hawkeye and Havoc, were completly shocked at what they were seeing, Roy actually doing work, and on time at that.

"What did you give him?" Havoc looked at Ed who had just entered the room. Ed placed the food down on Roy's desk. Roy not even looking up from his work grabbed the closest thing to him and crammed it in his mouth in one bite, it looked as though it was a small sandwich roll. "The Flame Colonel not only doing his paperwork, but also multi-tasking? That's something I haven't seen before." Havoc smirked.

All Ed could do was shrug. "I haven't got a clue." He watched him go, signing and reading left right and center randomly eating food along the way. "But whatever it was I'm glad it helped." Ed turned on his heel and was about to leave the room when Roy piped up.

"Hey Fullmetal." Ed turned his head. "Is my body suppose to feel light and airy?"

Ed shrugged. "Maybe...I'll ask her, if it's not I'll call you." Ed waved and left the room.

Hawkeye walked in front of his desk and leaned down. "Are you sure you're feeling ok?" Roy looked up to her and swallowed his food. "You look a little dazed." It was true, his pupil's were dialated and his eyes looked a little redish.

"I'm fine." He smiled as he fiddled with his pen.

* * *

Ed walked up the stairs to the Hughes's home. Upon opening the door he was greeted by Elicia; she was back form her sleepover at her friend's home. "Hi Ed." She hugged his knees, it was as high as she could reach. 

"Hey there kiddo." He laid a hand on her head. "Did you have fun at your friend's last night?" She nodded. "That's good."

Elicia smiled and waved for Ed to lean in close. "Ed have to ask you something..." Ed knelt down next to her. Elicia smiled and giggled a little. "Is that girl with the red hair Al's girlfriend?"

Ed snickered a little. "What makes you say that?"

She placed her hands behind her and folded them. "When she smiles at him, he blushes a little."

Ed thought she was so cute. "She's not his girlfriend..." Elicia looked disapointed. "...not yet anyway." He quickly followed up.

"Really?" She seemed extatic.

Ed nodded. He knew that Al liked her, he remembered the time that they had visited Lush for the second time. Al had came back with a mark on his neck and everything, that signified that he was with Aria to some degree that night. It was kind of creepy to picture his little brother with a girl, not that he though Al didn't like girls, nothing like that, but it was just the fact that he was the so called 'Innocent one' of the two of them. He thought it was nice.

"We should go sit with everyone else." She nodded and the two of them went into the kitchen; the window in the kitchen wasn't getting any sunlight, so it was a lot cooler in that room. Everyone decided to gravitate there for that reason. "Hello everyone! Guess what!" He held up the paper. "We got it." Ed smiled as he looked on to everyone who was now in good spirits.

Aria smiled and sipped her ice water. "That's great, I take it that the drink worked."

Ed nodded. "Yeah, you should have seen the look on his face after he drank that stuff, I thought he was gonna keck."

She laughed. "It does have that effect on some people. Though I've never seen it make anyone sick. So, how was he feeling when you left?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Well, he said that his body felt all lght and airy...is that suppose to happen?"

Aria didn't seem surprised in the slightest. "Oh yeah, that's normal. Considering what was in it and all." Everyone looked towards her.

Winry piped up. "I'm really curious now...what was in it? You two spent a lot of time at the market." Aria sighed. "You don't need to worry about us telling what was in it." She coaxed.

Aria folded her arms. "I guess there's no harm in telling you." The three of them listened carfully. Elicia had already left to go play outside, so there was no worry there. "Ok, there's a few key things in it that cotribute to the cure. There were a few common herbes in there for nutrients, and the pills were made of a condensed parsley plant. Due to the garlic in the drink, the parsley helps you not to be tasting garlic all day." They all seemed confused.

Al placed his rink on the table. "How come Roy said that he felt all funny then?"

Aria continued. "That's because of the cannabis I put in it." Everyone eyes opened wide. "That's what the garlic was for, it coveres up the smell and taste of the cannabis."

Ed laughed. "You gave the Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang...pot?" She nodded. Ed laughed again, Al and Winry snickered. "That's great...no wonder he ws acting so weird." Ed sat down at the table.

Aria nodded. "Yes, I didn't give him a lot, just enough to kill the headache and the nausea...and I guess give him a buzz too. I take it he's not very tall." Ed nodded. "That's why, I should have asked first." Aria continued on. "It's surprising that many people don'tknow about the medicinal benefits of the Hemp plant. I increases your appitite and helps you sleep better, and fortunatly it doesn't make many people have an allergic reaction, so it's very good for terminally ill patients. Most only look at it as a drug, but it's actually quite the oposite...when use properly that is." Everyone was in awe.

"At least it worked." Al added in and smiled.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, but to more important matters, we need to hunt down that contract and see if there really is a way to void it." He placed the papers down on the table. "We'll go right after lunch." They all nodded, it was set, Aria needed to find some way around this mess.

"Thank you all again, this means so much to me." She smiled and clasped onto her sundress, wrinkeling it slightly.

* * *

I'm so soory you had to sit thought that...it was another building chapter, so not too much happened in it...oh well, I'll have a little romance coming from Aria and Al in the next chapter...nothing too big...remember, she's still married:) 

**Chapter 11 -** _After hours of searching they find the contract.What's this? A loophole...maybe?"_

Read and review please, your opinion means a lot to me! Thnkies!


	11. Chapter 11 An Evil Streak

I really tried to keep this on to a decent length! And don't be mad at me if the chapter sucks, if it does, I'll re-write it! So try not to flame too much if you feel it necessary.

(This one's for you _ShadowCloud62, _I hope you like it)

* * *

**Chapter 11 - An Evil Streak**

* * *

Al peeked up on the top shelf of the dusty bookcase; hours of searching and still they had found nothing. Since Ed and Al worked for the military, they were the only ones allowed in the downstairs library vault to look for the contract to Aria's arranged marriage. Al sighed. "It's like looking for a needle in a hay stack...it's impossible." Al once more went to the front of the files in the cabinette, Ed was on the other side of the isle looking under the same name 'Crowley', but only from a different district. 

The files were seperated by country, then district and finally by name; there were so many wills and business contracts it was exceptionally difficult to locate the one they needed. "Any luck Ed?" He peeked over the top of the file cabnit only to see his brother's antenna sticking up, his older brother was quite short, he never really took the time to notice it before. Al stood an inch over the file cabnits and his brother was three inches shorter.

Quickly getting back on track he walked around to the other side and saw Ed reading through a few of the folders. "No." He said while biting his lip. "Not a damn thing." He flipped through a few more. "I think he took it not wanting anyone to find it...he must be hiding something."

Al sighed and droped to the floor in a sitting position, he took a deep breath and sneezed. "All this dust is draving me crazy...we need to find it soon." He sniffeled a little. "Huh?" He looked up to Ed who was going through some different files, there seemed to be a paper hanging out the bottom. "What's this?" He tugged the paper out and blew off the dust. He sneezed once again. He looked over the paper as he read it from top to bottom.

Ed kneeled down in front of his brother. "It wasn't filed properly...I wonder why."

Al smiled and then sneezed again. "Here." He passed the paper to his brother. "It's just what we're looking for." He sounded a little stuffed up. "Now let's get the hell out of here." Al rose and stood right next to Ed, he stood a full four inches over him.

* * *

"Due to the massive loophole in the marriage agreement contract between Aria Heket and I, Felix Crowly, it has been hidden in the lower branch of the Central library. I have cleverly hidden it in my book that I feel the closest to '_Secrets of the Golden Dawn Cypher Manuscripts_'" Aria read aloud. She skimmed the rest. "A business letter, this was all you found? ...that's strange." She smiled. "Well, we better get to the library, we don't have much time. I closes in a couple hours." She rose and looked at Al and Ed who were standing side by side, a wide smile on both their faces.

"We should all head down, it's too nice to be stuck here all day." Ed smiled. "I'll go see if Winry want's to come. They nodded and Ed hurried off up the stairs. He saw that Winry's door was open and she was laying down on her bed, she had decided to take a nap. Ed opened the door slowly as he admired Winry from the doorway. She had on a pair of cut-off jean shorts and her little black tube top, she looked beautiful. Smiling, he went over and shook her shoulder lightly.

"Winry...hey." She stirred and rolled on to her back. Stretching she looked up to see Ed looking down on her.

"Ed!" She sat up quickly, a blush graced her face. "How long were you there?" She seemed flustered.

Edward blushed a little himself. "I just came in." He hooked his thumb behind him and pointed to the door. "We're going to the library, why not come with us?"

She nodded. "Sure, just let me get dressed." Ed smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. Winry seemed relieved, she was having a dream about him, and for a brief moment, she thought it was real. Collecting her wits she got dressed and headed downstairs.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Aria leaned around the corner to see Al up on a stool trying to reach one of the high up books.

He shook his head. "Nope...I'm sure it'll turn up." They had arrived at the library an hour and a half before closing time and they searched the card catalogue. Apparently the book was infact there, however the card containing the information was gone. They knew this because of the ever reliable Sheska, they called her and she said that she had already read the book; apparently the book was an occult writing of some sort. The details were sketchy, but they knew it was there, no one checked it out. So unless someone stole it, it was sure to be there.

"When we were looking for the contract in the first place it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is more like looking for a needle in a stack of needles." Al hopped off the stool. He sat down and lowered his head. "This is frustrating."

Aria resteda reasuring hand on his shoulder. "Why are you so troubled, I'm the one who should be bummed out." She looked kind of sad. Al looked up at her, she looked like she was going to cry.

He stood up and placed a hand on each shoulder. "You're right, but try not to be sad; we'll keep looking until we find it. Even if we have to come back tomorrow." Aria smiled. "Don't worry, it'll all work out, cheer up." He smiled and he looked at his hands, they were still on her shoulders. With a bit of a blush he removed them and rubbed the side of his arm. "I need to check the other side."

Aria nodded. "Ok, I'll go check the next shelf." With that said she took off behind the shelf that Al was looking on. He could see her through the mess of books and dust. The room was rather dark, there were no windows, just a few fire exits and that was all. The lower section of the library was one mainly for refrence, that's where Sheska said that she remembered filing it in the first place. Since the letter said it would be here as well, they guessed that the information was correct.

Al caught himself looking at Aria every so often, just a short glance through the books, not like he was staring at her, but once in a whle he would glance up to see if she was still there. Ed and Winry had started at the other side of the room, so they would meet in the middle.

The hour they had left flew by and finally the library attendant had come down to fetch them. Ed used his military position into scaring her into letting thme stay after hours, it wasn't surprising that Ed had such a silver tongue when it came to these kinds of situations.

Al heaved a heavy sigh, the library had now been closed for a full hour before he decided to sit down, the dust was starting to bother him. He walked over to where Aria was, she was going through some of the books on the lower shelf, she was kneeling on her dress, he could see on the side that she had brushed against something dusty. "Nothing."

She nodded. "Nothing..." She stood up and brushed off her dress. I wonder if it ws just a concidence that the card was missing, or did someone take it." Al shrugged. "Yeah, there's no way of telling..." She leaned against the bookshelf and sighed. "This is going to take forever, there has to be at least a hundred tousand books down here, we'll be at this for weeks...what time is it?"

Al backed out of the row of books. "I have no idea...Hey Ed!" He yelled across the room to his brother.

"What?" He voice was really off int the distance.

"What time is it?" There was a moment of silence.

"Eleven!" He yelled back.

"Thanks." Al approached Aria and stood in front of her. "It's eleven...it is getting kind of late huh?" He folded his arms and looked down at the floor. "Looks like we will have to come back tomorrow...I was really hoping we could find it tonight too."

Aria smiled. "Really?"

Al blushed. "Uh, yeah! I mean uh...mm..." Al was at a loss for words, he really liked her, a lot, but he couldn't do anything, she had that damn ring.

Aria reached out to him and placed her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Al was stunned, but not so stunned as to not put his arms around her as well. He pressed his cheek into her hair and snuggled her tightly. They stood there, holding eachother, for a solid minute before Al released his grip and looked her straight in the face. His cheeks were red hot and he was shaking a little, at least his hands were. He leaned in closer to her face.

"Al..." She sid quietly. "We really shouldn't..." She took her hands up to meet his face. Al averted his gaze and backed off.

"Your right...I'm sorry." Al seemed a little hurt.

Aria smiled a little. "I didn't say stop..." She clasped the front of her dress in her hands.

Al's smiled returned. "No one has to know..." He approached her again, but this time Aria wrapped her arms around his kneck as he embraced her waist, they kissed once again after almost a year. The time on the beach was a memorable one, Al didn't mind telling Ed about that, but this one had to be a secret, just between the two of them. Aria leaned her back against the bookshelf as Al kissed her lips softly. Just then, a book came down and cracked her in the head, they enevitbly broke their kiss.

"I guess god is watching what I do." She looked down at the book. "Hey, look."

Al backed off and looked at the book as well, he reached down and picked the book up. Sure enough, it ws the one that they had been searching for. Pulling out a papre thathad an offical seal on it his grin widened. "This is it!" They smiled and hugged, the irony of it all. "I wonder why only one book fell, and this one at that." No sooner had Al finished his snetence had the rest of the shelf gave way and fallen, covering the two of them with dusty old books. Al stood there next to Aria, she smiled at him and as if on instinct he hugged her tightly.

"We should go tell Ed and Winry they can stop looking. Come on." He took her by the hand and set off to find Ed and Winry.

"I think I hear them coming." Ed looked up from what he was doing. "Ed, get up."

Ed lifted his body of of hers and helped her to her feet. Straightening out his hair he smiled. "Oh well, I think I heard AL say that he found it, good thing, we weren't looking very hard were we?" He smiled as he watched Winry straighten out her skirt.

"Not really, but no big deal huh? I do feel bad for not looking harder; at least they found it though." She tied her loose hair back into the pony tail that she originally came down with.

"Yeah, let's go." The two of them headed out of the row of books to meet up with Al and Aria.

* * *

Yet another chapter...I hope you're not mad at me for doing that...I never seen a sucessful ocXmain-character pairing...so I hope it's ok. 

Remember, if it sucks too much, I'll redo it. Read and Review, tell me what you think, I REALLY need feedback with this one! I need to know if I'm doing something wrong.

**Chapter 12 -** _The group reads over the contract, and to their surprise, the letter they found was right!_

See you all next time! Thank you all for helping me improve!


	12. Chapter 12 Valenti

Ok, while this chapter was being written, I was listening to the song 'Valenti' by 'BoA', it's a pretty good song and I feel it really set to mood for this chapter, well, most of it...the important part anyway (_the flashback _;D). There's three different versions if you want to download it, the Korean, Japanese and the English vesion. Of course, I have the English version, because as much as I'd love to , I can speak neither Korean OR Japanese. I can understand a few words when the song plays, but nothing more.

This chapter's a bit longer than the last, but Catilin, you siadyou like that, so at leastI know one person will read. :D Thanks again to all my reviewers, your opinions really mean a lot to me!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Valenti**

* * *

Al awoke form a deep sleep and rubbed his eyes, it had been a while since he had stayed up that late and his body really wasn't use to it. He looked over to the other side of the room, Ed was no where to be found. How in the world had Ed manage to go to bed later than him _and_ wake up _before_ him; it was something that needed to be looked into right away. Al rose from is bed and headed down the stairs, no one seemed to be up but Gracia and Elicia, she was eating breakfast and getting read to go out and play. 

"Good morning Al." Gracia greeted him sweetly, she had a cup of tea warming her hands.

Al smiled and waved a hand at her. "Hey, morning...um, did you see Ed this morning?"

"You're the first one I've heard up...did you guys stay up much later?" Gracia smiled.

Al shook his head. "Oh no, we finally got to bed at about one or two. We have to go out today to get some papers to legaly change Aria's name back to her mother's maiden name." Al walked across the kitchen and poured himself some of the tea that was left in the pot. "You really don't mind having us over do you? I mean...we are eating a lot of your food."

Gracia shook her head. "It's been a while since I've had company, it's a nice change. I told you, you don't have to feel guilty, I don't mind you kids staying as long as you like."

Al smiled. "Thanks Gracia." He could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. "Hmm?" He looked out the kitchen door to see none other than Ed heading down the stairs. "Where were you at? There's no way you got up before I did."

Ed pointed upstairs. "I was in the bathroom Al."

Al aborted 'accusation mode' and sat down at the table. "Oh..." He smiled at his brother who copied his actions and poured himself a cup of tea. "So when are we going?"

Ed sipped the tea, he didn't bother to put milk in it, he just had it plain, milk was evil. "As soon as everyone's up and moving we'll go. It's was only eight in the morning, so there's no rush; the government bureau doesn't close till four."

* * *

_"I just can't believe I'm reading this!" Aria threw the paper down on the table and laughed. "We were looking so hard for the answer when it was so simple." They had gone over the contract inside and out and exausted two hours of their night on it. It's was amazing what they missed because of skim reading. The clause that said 'My daughter with the full name Aria Renna Heket will be engaged to Felix Crowley; upon the succession of the family business balance to one million cens, she will be arranged to marry the proprietor of said business.' Since the business succeeded Aria was forced to marry him._

_Ed smiled. "Yeah, to think, if you just change your last name back to your mom's maiden nam, it'll void the whole thing." The contract said that only with the name 'Heket' that she had to marry, if she was no longer a Heket, she would no longer be in the contract._

_Al smirked. "No wonder they were trying to hide this, it was poorly written, that's one heck of a loophole."_

_Winry picked up the papers. "Maybe it wasn't poorly written...it says here it was written by Felica Hall...You said that was your mother's name."_

_"Yeah, that's her." Aria said with a smile._

_"Maybe this was done on purpose so you could fine your own personal happiness. Your mom must have planned this for you." Winry flipped the sheet over._

_Aria nodded. "She must have, she was always a clever woman."_

* * *

Al smiled wide, soon Aria would no longer belong to that jerk of a husband and she would be able to make her own choices. Ed looked at his younger brother and narrowed his eyes in a comical fashion. 

"You're thinking about her aren't you." He smirked.

Al waved hs hands frantically. "Why would I be thinking about Aria? You're not making sence brother."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Who said I was talking about Aria?" Ed caught him. "You're a terrible liar Al...I know you like her, I think it's cute that you like a girl."

Al raised an eyebrow at his older, yet smaller, brother. "Would you be less surprised if I like a boy or something?"

Ed laughed. "That's not what I mea...you don't like a boy do you?" He asked quickly. Al shook his head; Ed sighed. "That's good to hear...but what I mean was that you never showed an open intrest in girls before, you were alwas so shy about the whole thing. I just thought it was nice." Ed seemed to be plaing the part of the big brother now; and for some reason he seemed to be in a strangly good mood.

"Well I do like her...but we have to wait till her name is changed before I can..." He stopped in mid sentence.

Ed shifty eyed his little brother. "Before you can what Al?" He leaned over the table and made kissy lips at his brother. "Before you can kiss her again."

Al grabbed onto his brother's lips that were sticking out and held them tight. "Shut up!" He said through gritted teeth. "You're making this more difficult than it needs to be." Al had a furious blush on his face, he squeezed tight.

"Mooowch." Ed gave a muffeled squeak of pain. Aria appeared in the doorway to see the scene unfold.

"I'm not inturupting anything am I?"

Al released his brothers face; Ed rubbed where Al's fingers had clamped down on. "Son of a...Oww..."

"Nothing...nothing at all..." Al blushed as he placed his hands behind his back. "Is Wirny up yet?"

Aria yawned and stretched, Al though she looked so cute doing so. "I could hear her moving, I think she's getting dressed." She sat down at the table and rested her eyes. "I need to get to bed early tonight, I hate losing sleep."

Ed downed the rest of his tea and placed the cup in the sink. "Well that's going to be kind of hard, we're heading back today."

Al's eye's brightened. "Really! I totally forgot."

Gracia smiled. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay longer?"

Ed shook his head. "We do have to be getting back, Winry's grandmother's at home alone, the automail business is probably going to drive her crazy. It's the busy season; I couldn't bare to send just her home alone."

"I understand, feel free to come here and stay whenever you like. Just give me a call first." Gracia said with a smile.

* * *

"We've only got the rest of the day in central...what do you guys want to do?" Aria asked as she had her hands resting atop her head. 

Ed was the first to speak. "Library?"

Winry gave him a pat on the back. "Come on Ed, have a little more imagination than that." Truth be told, he was using his imagination, what happene last night in the downstairs of the library was pretty imaginative, at least for him. He was hoping for a repeat.

* * *

_"Hey Winry?" Ed caught her attention, she was going through a few books on the other side of the room. Edward had just finished off going through another entire shelf of books and he wanted to wait till she was done._

_"What?" She replaced the last book of the row and turned to face him._

_"What do you mean 'What?', you said that you wanted to ask me something 'later on tonight' and well, it's not going to get much later." She blushed, that was true, it was a little after eleven o'clock. "What did you want to ask me?"_

_Winry walked across the floor, crossing the only isle between the rows of massive bookshelves. "Well...I'm kind of shy about it." Edward seemed confused. "It's...umm..."_

_"Winry." Ed spoke up. "You know as well as I do that you're the furthest thing from shy, just ask, I'm not going to judge you." Winry smiled. "Let's hear it."_

_Winry took a deep breath. "Do you think I'm a tom boy?" Ed paused, shocked at the question for a moment, and then proceeded to laugh. Winry bit her bottom lip and tightened her fists, she was ready to take a swing if Ed didn't stop laughing._

_"Haha! No, of course not, what makes you say that." This time it was Winry who was shocked, Ed didn't think she was a tom boy? That came as quite a surprise to her._

_"Really?" Ed nodded. Winry still didn't seem convinced. "The reason why I ask is..." She hesitated. "Well...when we were kids, we use to play together all the time. Now that we're older, we can't very well go play hide and seek anymore...we're suppose to have matured into young adults."_

_Ed raised an eyebrow. "I don't quite follow where you're going."_

_'**Of course you don't, why would you?**' She thought to herself. "Ed...when we grew up, I thought we would just be more than friends." Winry clasped her hands together in front of her. "I just figured you saw me as one of the guys and you know, not attractive. It's just, you never show me any affection."_

_Ed sighed, he seemed hurt by what Winry was saying. "I want to make this clear Winry; I don't see you as 'one of the guys', you are really attractive and the reason I don't show you any affection in that way is because I thought...you would just laugh at me."_

_Winry looked at him cinfused. "Laugh! Why in the world would I laugh?"_

_Ed placed his hands on his hips. "You know how I am Winry, I thought that if I tried to be romantic, even in the slightest, you get weirded out because I've never acted that way before, ever. Romance isn't my strong suit." He allowed one of his hands to fall loose to his side. "I figured that you'd think that I was joking and just brush me off."_

_Winry smiled. "I wouldn't have done that." Ed bit his bottom lip, he couldn't believe he was saying such things to her, but it just seemed to flow out like a river; he had no control over the situation. Regardless, it just seemed so natural to say it to her._

_He looked at her, staring at the floor, she looked so helpless; he couldn't help himself, he just had to take her in his arms. With a slight hesitation, not very noticiable though, he approached her closly and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her head to his shoulder. '**Please don't laugh...don't even snicker...just-.**' He thought to himself, but the though was cut short; she reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. They stood there, in the embrace, it felt so right._

_"I told you I wouldn't laugh." She squeezed him tight, not too tight, just tight enough so that she knew he wouldn't slip away from her again. He loosened his grip on her and took half a step back. He took his automail hand and placed it on her face and rubbed her cheek. The automail slid over her skin so smothly, she did a fine job on restoring his lost limbs, he figured she'd appreciate it a little more._

_"Winry...I..." He swallowed hard. His face then began to grow hot and red, the blush he could feel crept all over his cheeks, neck and even a little in his shoulders. Winry's eye lids lowered as Edward came closer. Then, after a long painstaink pause, he touched his lips against her's, the second they touched he almost drew back, he felt as thoug he had recieved an electric shock. But then, it becam natural and Winry sunk into his arms and sweet embrace._

_They just stood there, kissing and holding one another. Soon there after, Winry's knees gave out and she slowly sank down to the floor, with Ed still present on her lips. He kissed her as though someone was going to take her away from him. He lay his body atop of hers, not breaking the kiss for even a second.

* * *

_

Ed snaped back to reality. "So what do you guys have in mind?" They all thought quietly.

Al looked up at the rest of them. "I think there's something going on in the town square tonight. Let's see." He looked aorund for a second when someting caught his eye. "Ah. Here we go." He walked over to a local cafe and the rest folowed. Searching th bulliton board that was postd out front he looked carefully. "Right here." The poster said that there indeed was something going on tonight.

"What's this?" Ed pulled the poster off the wall and read allowed. "The last friday of June we'll be holding a community bonfire in Central Square, all are welcome, from 6-12, fun food and drink." He took a random pin off the board and stuck the paper back up. "Sounds good to me."

Winry smiled. "Yeah, it does sound like it would be fun."

"I agree, let's do that." Aria chimed in. "Well...what are we going to do till then?"

Al pointed off in the direction that they were facing. "We still have to get those papers, that'll eat up some time."

* * *

"What do you mean two months!" Ed screamed at the lady behind the desk. "We can't wait that long!" Ed was given the fun task of trying to convince the bureau that they needed the papers sooner than two months. "You tell me who I need to talk to! I need those papers within a week."

The lady behind the desk raised her hands in defence. "I really can't allow that, there's been a back log for people who want to change their name, I really can't do much of anything for you." She pulled out a form from her desk. "I can however get the papers delivered right to your house if you like."

Ed gritted his teeth and took the form. "Fine." He went back over to where everyone was sitting and handed the paper to Aria. "I'm sorry, it's the best they can do."

Aria nodded. "It's ok Ed, you tried." In some instances Ed's position in the military helped them in these kinds of situations, but not this time, it was beyond anyone's power. "I'll be in Resembool, so I doubt Felix will come searching for me." She filled it out and handed it back to him. "Thanks." She smiled sweetly.

He headed back over to the desk and placed the form in front of the woman. "Here..."

He seemed a little disheartened. The woman smiled at him. "I did forget to mention something, if I place a rush on it and state that it's for a military issue, theyshould take you sooner."

Ed smiled. "You'd do that?" She nodded. "Great, how long would it take then?"

She thought to herself for a moment. "It only rushes the delivery, that would only cut off a week or two, but from what you're telling me, every second counts." Ed nodded. "Well then I'll do that right away Sir."

"Thank you." He once more smiled at the woman and then turned and went back to everyone. "She said if she puts a rush on it, it'll get her at the most, two weeks sooner, but we can only hope."

Aria smiled wide. "Really? That's great!" She stood up and looed at everyone. "Well, there's no point of sitting here, let's get going." With all that out of the way, they headed out to kill a little more time before the big bonfire.

* * *

Yet another chapter done and out of the way. If you guys aren't busy, you shold give my new fic a read, it's only a comedy one, but still, worth a read. It's called "Get it right!", it's in script form (PROPER script form) so it's easy and short to read. And Aria's in it, so to those of you who like Aria, you can enjoy her there too. 

**Chapter 13 -** _Edward is acosted by missionaries! Later on, the four friends enjoy their time at the bonfire. And who's this they see together? Who's that with Roy?_

**See you soon:P**


	13. Chapter 13 Yee of Little Faith

ok...the seperators didn't want to work for this chapter, so you're just going to have to bear with me. Sorry for the late update, I had a little bit of writers block, but I think that line that Ed says halfway through is what helped get rid of it. I also got frozen for posting a script form fic...damn TOS. I thought they let you put up scripts now, I was wrong, but that's my own fault.

I'm back now and I'm going to be updating soon, before the middle of the week. I'm sorry again! ;-;

And, I know religion is a touchy subject for most, so take it easy when you read this.

Enjoy!

**------------------------------------------------------------  
Chapter 13 - Yee of Little Faith  
------------------------------------------------------------**

"Brother, aren't you hot with that shirt on?" Al directed his question to Ed who was wearing a thin, yet, long sleeve red shirt.

Ed pulled out the colar and then let it sink back to it's original state. "Metal holds heat really well. I'm warm, but I'm not as warm as I'd be if I left my automail shining out on the sun." He tugged the colar of his shirt again a few times. "It's still hot though." Ed ran his hand through his bangs, some of witch were clinging to his forehead.

Winry was quite comfotable. "You guys should wear less clothing."

Ed looked back at her. "I'd love to, but I think I'd look a little weird in a skirt."

Aria smiled and giggled. "I usually wear dresses, they're really cool and airy. And who knows Ed, it might do you some justice." Ed meerly shook his head and laughed a little.

Winry nodded in agreement. "That is a really nice dress, where did you get it?"

Aria flattened out a crease in the front and gave a small smile. "My mom made it for me."

"Excuese me." A voice came from behind them as they walked the streets of Central. Upon viewing who was accosting them, they could see that they were two young missionaries, both around the ages of twenty. "Would it be alright to have a moment of your time?"

Ed turned away upon noticing the bible in each on of their hands. "Not intrested."

Aria seemed a little taken aback. "Why not Ed, it's not like we have anything better to do."

He simply shook his head. "I can think of a million different things better than listening to some ocultists trying to tell me about all the different kinds of way I'm gonna be going to hell. No thanks." He continued to walk.

One of the missionaries lowered his head and clutched his bible tight. "I truly feel sorry for souls like you, I will pray for you."

Ed clenched a fist and turned to face the young man. "I don't need your sympathy, my life is going great, there's no need for you to feel sorry for me. Just because I haven't conformed myself to a cult, doesn't mean I won't be 'saved', I mean, you can't even sicentifically prove that this 'god' person even exists."

Aria raised an eyebrow and spoke. "Just because someone can't prove something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You might upset god if you say that he doesn't exist."

Ed calmed himself and looked at Aria. "Let me ask you something Aria." She listened intently, Winry and Al just listened on from the sidelines, they both knew better not to get into a religous debate with Edward, there was no way they could win against him. "Let's say that I had a friend named Russel, let's say that I told you a lot about him and what he did, but let's say that you never met him and you doubted that he really existed. You deeply and truly thought that he didn't exist."

She folded her arms. "I don't quite see where you're going with this."

Ed held up a hand and pointed a finger. "Now let's say that you finally meet Russel and you tell him that you didn't think that he existed...do you think he'd be mad?"

Aria thought to herself for a moment. "I don't know...well...if he was mad at me for not thinking that he was real before even meeting him, I guess he wouldn't be a very nice guy at all. I mean, I really wouldn't have been able to know."

He continued. "Exactlly!" Aria seemed confused. "If when I die then go up to these 'Pearly gates' and God, if he truly exists, is mad at me for not believing in him, that's not a god that I would want to believe in, in the first place."

Aria took the time to think about it for a moment. "I suppose I can see where you're coming from, I understand."

The missionary interveaned. "What are you talking about you 'understand'? Of course god exists, you shouldn't encourage him to disbelieve. You must praise god as much as you can."

She smiled at them. "Well, I feel he's right in doing what he's doing. If he's shown proof then he'll admit that he was wrong, I'm pretty sure that god will accept that. He's a scientist after all, his entire life is based around fact."

"Yeah, and unless you two can prove that he's real, my opinion will stay as is." Edward stated.

The younger of the two piped up. "Well I personally feel that the passage by xxxxxxxx in the bible speaks for itself."

"I'm listening." Ed folded his arms in disbelief.

The missionary opened his book and skimmed though the pages, upon stopping, he spoke. "God is that than which no greater can be thought, and he must, therefore, exist, for otherwise he would not be that than which no greater can be thought." Ed was silent as he took the words to thought.

"Wow, you stumped him." Al spoke in disbelief.

"On no they didn't." Ed spoke. "I just need to think about how to word this." They awaited his response. "Alright then, you have to listen, because I doubt I'll be able to say this twice."

"You cannot deny that xxxxxxxx has a very good point."

Ed shook his head. "Though that is a good explanation, thought is limited to the human mind, and god is suppose to be measured with unnipidence. Because thought is a limited aspect of the abstract, and god can only be measure as far as thought, it cannot simply exist until the thought becomes reality." They listened intently. "Because thought is no reality, and god is no greater than witch can be thought, god is no reality, making him abstract and not real."

**------------------------------------------------------------**

Ed held his popsicle in hand as he enjoyed the cool treat while he lay in the grass. "That was pretty impressive brother." Al began, taking another bite of his icecream. "But you didn't have to make him cry."

He shrugged. "They had it coming. There's nothing I hate more than someone trying to tell me that I'm wrong."

"You always had time admitting that you were wrong, and you suffered because." Al smiled at his older brother.

Ed looked up at him in disbelief. "Oh? How so?"

He smiled. "Like the time that tree we always climbed when we were little got hit by lightening. You said it was still climbable."

Winry chimed in. "I remember that, you broke your arm that summer and couldn't go swimming."

Ed smiled. "Right. I remember now."

"And when we were ten, you thought you could outrun that dog. You have to remember that." Al continued.

"Yeah, you guys had a hell of a time holding me down so I could get that tetanus shot. If I recall, I gave you a black eye." Al nodded and laughed a little. "You didn't speak to me for two days."

"That was pretty funny now that I think back to it." Al smiled, those kinds of things were bad when they were happening, but when you grew up and think back to them, they were actually quite amusing.

"I'm not that bad anymore though." Ed bit into his orange popsicle.

"Are you sure?" Aria disagreed.

"Yeah, prove otherwise!" Ed demanded.

"Just a few minutes ago. You caused a scene." Winry so cleverly pointed out. "The only difference is you didn't get hurt."

Ed smiled triumphantly. "Yup, I'm just glad they were pasifists." He laughed aloud. With Edwards luck with these sorts of things, they probably would have just beaten him up if not for their faith.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

It seemed that days take a longer time to pass when you don't have anything to do, finally, six o'clock had rolled around. "I didn't think we'd make it." Ed stretched as he sat up from his laying down position under the tree the four of them had claimed.

"Yeah, nothing seems to happen when you want it to. I gaurentee, the next day that we want to sit back and relax, something going to come up." Al sighed as he leaned against the tree that was shading them.

"Does that happen often?" Aria questioned.

Ed, Al and Winry all nodded. "All the time." They said in usion.

Winry smiled as she wrapped her hands around her knees as she watched people begin to set up for the bonfire. "But at least it's hear now and we all get to have fun." She stood up and pointed off towards the fire pit. "We should go down there, I think I see a barbeque, I want first dibs." She set off down the hill. Al smiled and followed off down behind Winry.

"Hey Aria." Ed stopped her short with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry about what I said."

Aria was a little confused. "What for?"

Ed smiled. "For what I said earlier, you know. You have a sepecific faith that you follow and I insulted it, rather hearshly. If I'd have known, I would have just walked away from the situation."

She waved a hand at him. "It's ok Ed, I know I can't make everyone believe what I believe in. You're your own person and are able to make choices. I mean, I chose to accept what you said and I still remained faithful. Everyone has their own beliefs, who am I to tell you that you are wrong?" Ed thought about it and then nodded. "I know that faith cannot exist without doubt."

He smiled. "That's a good view that most don't have." She smiled in return. "But for future refrence, I'll try to be a little more sensitive, ok?"

"That's fair." With that out of the way they caught up with Al and Winry.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

The bonfire was great, Flame Colonel Roy Mustang actually showed up to light the whole thing; his alchemic flame, even now, wowed the Elric brothers. Aria was all glassey eyed at the spectal and all Winry could do was smile at the towering ten foot pillar of fire. '_If he can blow hot air like Ed says, he would make a great blowtorch!' _She thought.

The night was quite fun, there was drink and good food. Ed wandered off on his own to get something to eat.

On his way back, something caught his eye. He could see Roy tucked off into the corner with what appeared to be his date. Ed was going to shrug it off when he noticed the long flowy blond hair; at first he thought it was Winry, but upon closer inspection he realized it was actually someone else, someone who he really didn't think fit into this picture.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?" He spoke softly to himself. He squinted at the spectle and then taking his hotdog that he had purchased back to where the others were sitting, he knelt down next to them. "You guys are not going to believe who I just saw with Mustang." They turned their attention to him. "It was Hawkeye, they were--'_together_'." He poked his index fingers together.

Al waved a hand at is brother. "Ed you're seeing things, just sit down."

Ed gritted his teeth and waved a tightly bqalled fist at Al. "You don't believe me! Come here!" He stood up and grabed him by the back of his coat. "We'll just have to see for sure." The girls gave Al a friendly wave as Ed tugged him of in the direction that he had just come from.

"Ed, seriously, you must have seen wrong." Ed stood him up and pointed his head at Roy and Riza who were holding each other in a loving way. "Wha...?" He was dumbfounded, it really was Roy and Riza together.

"And to think, you still believe in God with no proof, yet you didn't even believe me, your own brother." Ed shook his head and then motioned for Al to follow him. "Come on Al, I don't want my food to get cold. We have to leave in another half hour." Ed managed to book the last train leaving central, so they got to enjoy the bonfire almost to it's full extent. "There's no sense in just standing here, let's go eat." Ed began to walk away, leaving his brother standing there, standing in awe.

Al nodded. "Uh?...Right...brother." He began to catch up with Ed.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

There you have it, I hope I didn't offend anyone with my views. I figured Ed had the same opinion on god as I do, so I just figured that it would be ok to put that in there. Take it whatever way you want. :D

**Chapter 14 -** _I DON'T KNOW! GAH!_

...hehe...sorry. I'll think of something, don't worry.


	14. Chapter 14 Take it Easy

**Yeah...sorry about the other chapter that I uploaded...I uploaded it and then realized that I needed to fix something...and then I deleted it...without SAVING IT! AHH! So I had to do most of it over again!**

It was just the editing, so it was no big loss. It's here now and that's all that matters. Just so you people know, it's not that I don't know what to write, it's just that I'm either too lazy or too busy to write it...but mostly I'm too lazy. The baby's eating things at random now, so I have to follow behind her all the time. She's got me run off my feet. Today, she decided to eat our purple game cube memory card...(Sigh)

But here it is, in all it's newly edited glory! ENJOY:D

**------------------------------------------------------------  
****Chapter 14 - Take it easy  
------------------------------------------------------------**

_Roy gave a yawn and he stretched back in his chair, he was bored beyond all belief, he quickly resumed his hunched over position and continued to work. His paperwork was piled high and it showed no sign of ending. Riza opened the door to his office and entered, she could see that Roy was once again fretting over his work that had been sitting there, untouched, all day._

_"Was there any reason that you didn't lift a finger today?" She asked, an emotionless tone in her voice._

_Roy didn't move his head, he only turned his gaze to her and then back down to his work. "I got sidetracked." He finished one off and laid it aside._

_Riza smiled. "I can't help but feel you're blaming that on me."_

_He shook his head."No...it's my own fault...I should get someone to help me with this, it's too much for one person in such a short amount of time." He remember that he had gotten Ed and AL to help him, he was thinking that maybe it wasn't too late to bribe them to do it again._

_Riza shook her head. "I suppose you could put them off till tomorrw."_

_Roy dropped his quill. "What did you just say?" He gave her a raised eyebrow and a look of complete surprise and confusion. "Wait a second...you're not Envy are you?" Riza shook her head. "Are you sure?"_

_She nodded once again. "We have to leave soon. You were asked to attend the bonfire tonight, you're suppose to light it...or did you forget?"_

_Roy sat back in his chair. "Until now, yes. But now that you bring it up." He picked up the quill off his desk and stuck it back in the ink bottle. "Do you think we could make it a date?"_

_Riza smiled and nodded. "Everyone's going to find out eventually; but let's keep it underwraps for now. Just until I see a ring ok?" She threw more papers on his desk and turned to leave the room. Roy gave a smile of victory and stood up from his chair. Straightening out his uniform he followed behind Riza._

----------

"So..." Al began. "Do you think they wanted to be seen?" Al sat a the window seat on the train, Aria next to him and then Rose sitting alongside her. Winry sat on the other seat next to Edward. "They were kind of out of plain sight."

Ed shrugged. "Who knows, they were probably drunk. Drunk people do stupid things like that." They all took that into consideration.

"That is true...I remember something, it was about two years ago...Roy had come to work on crutches. He sprained his ankel trying to ride a mechanical bull. If I do recall, he was drinking the night before."

Ed nodded. "Yeah, I remember that, and I made fun of him for it too. Drunk bastard doesn't even remember it happening." He snickered to himself. "Oh well, if they are together, that's great; maybe Roy will finally settle down for once; and since Riza really doesn't seem like the type to sleep with the higher up's just to further her own career, I think it'll do him a world of good." Everyone was all too familiar with his womenizing ways, this would be a nice change of pace for Roy.

----------

"Roy..." Riza managed to brethlessly stammer out. "...Roy..." He lifted his head up from what he was doing. "We're going to be seen."

He shrugged. "We could just blame it on alcohol...they'll understand." Truth be told, neither had been drinking that night at all; Roy was still recovering from the other night. He continued to kiss her neck. He strong arms encircled her back and held her snugly. Riza rubbed her hands along his back as his kiss traveled up her neck to land on her lips. She kissed him deeply and passionately.

They had to keep their love a secret, most were uncomfortable with a relationship in the work place; at least a new relationship, if they were married, no one would mind as much. No one was to know of their union for the time being; they were to keep it secret.

This, however, did make it fun around HQ; having to duck the higher up's if they wanted to have a few moments together, having to sneak around if they wanted to have a quicky in one of the unused offices. It gave some bit of relief of the usual boring and motonus work day, it added in the element of ecitement. Just the thrill of the thought of being caught made one's blood surge and the adrenaline rush.

Riza placed her hands on either side of Roy's face and guided him to look into her eyes. "We should get going soon."

Roy stood up and kissed her lips once again. He gave her a smile. "I guess you're right. We'll miss out on all the food if we stay here; I am kind of hungry." It was true, he haden't eaten for half of the day, he kept getting sidetracked.

----------

_"Riza...RIza!" He said in a loud yet, whispered hush._

_She averted her gaze to Roy who's head was sticking out of a strange office, he was waving his hand to call her over. The office didn't look like it was being used, she crossed the hall, hopeful that no one would see her enter the room. Successful, she closed the door ehind her. "What is it?" She had no clue as to what Roy was doing._

_He walked up to her and reached behind her, turning the lock on the door, it clicked, signifing that it had been locked. "You on lunch now?" She nodded. "Good, I'd hate to interrupt your work."_

_She smiled. "What about you? You're lunch ended an hour ago."_

_He shrugged. "No big deal, I'll get it done." He quickly picked her up and whisked her over to the desk. Sitting her on the edge he leaned her back and kissed her._

_She put and hand on his chest and pushed him back slightly. "We're going to get caught, I think it's best we don't."_

_He gave her a sly smle. "But that what makes it so damn fun...getting caught and all." With that look in his eyes, she just couldn't say no. The two of them fell into embrace, they made love right there on the desk._

----------

Roy smiled as he thought back to the day's events. They had been seeing one another regularly for the past two months now and they were quite happy. Roy walked alongside her as they approached the stands where the food was being served; they were really close to the fire, not close enough to catch on fore, but it was warm just standing next to them. The stands were just long tables with canopy's over them to avoid the heat from escaping completly.

Roy took hold of Riza's hand and gave it a quick squeeze and then let it go. It was like a hug, just a little more descrete. He smiled at her and then set off to find something to eat. On his travels he ran into Havoc, he had his trademark cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a rather dazed look on his face. "Food any good?"

Havoc turned his head and smiled at Roy. "Yeah, it's awesom, you should totally get some befor it's gone." He made refrence to his empty plate of food laying on the table.

Roy chuckeled a little. "You drinking?"

Havock smiled a somewhat dopy smile. "Yup." He said proudly. "And so is she." He pointed off in the direction of Cathrine and Sheska. The two of them had their arms linked and were dancing around in a circle to the cheerful fiddle music that was being played live. Every so often they would switch and dance in the other direction. "You drinkin' tonight?"

Roy shook his head. "Na, I'm still licking the wounds from last time.: He smiled, he was quite surprised. "I didn't think Cathrine drank...didn't seem to be in her character."

Havoc shrugged. "Me too...but she can put it away! She drank twice what I did and she can walk fine...her speech isn't bad either."

Roy couldn't help but laugh. "Look at them, it's amazing how someone's persnoality can completly flip when they drink.

He agreed with a nod. "I just hope she stops soon, I'm gedding dizzy jus loking at em'." His speech was beginning to fail him. "Mmm..." He rubbed his eyes.

Roy gave him a pat on the back. "Take it easy Jean." With that said he headded off to grab some food. He could smell the barbequed ribs a mile away and he wanted some. Havoc gave him a wave and turned his attention back to the girls making a scene.

They looked like they were having tons of fun. The moment that Havoc was waiting for finally came; the crowd clapped and gave a cheers to the two young women. The song had finally ended and Cathrine gave Sheska a hug and she set off back to where he date was sitting.

Cathrine waved to Sheska and skipped back over to Havoc and flung herself into his arms. "Did you see me? I had fun!" She giggled and burried her head in his chest. "You know I'm not that drunk...you don't think I am do you?"

Reluctantly he shook his head. "No, no...of course not." He very well knew that she was three sheets to the wind right now, but it was best not to argue with her, there was no telling if she would go violent or not.

"We should go now." She lifted her head up and looked at him, an inhebreated expression masked by a sweet smile.

"Go where?" He seemed a little confused.

She smiled and traced her finger on his chest. "Back to someplace quiet...so we can be alone...so we can..." She began to giggle.

Havoc was intregued. "So we can what?" He was hoping that she was taking this in the direction that he was hoping for.

"Silly..." She gathered her thoughts. "So we can..." She got close to his ear and whispered. "...so we can do it...hehe." She giggled again and hugged him.

A smile spread across his face. "You're right!" He placed her arm around his waist and she held on tightly. "We should go, it's too noisy here." He walked off to find Mustang, it was best that someone sober knew that he and Cathrine were leaving. Finding Roy standing in line for food he taped his shoulder.

Roy turned to see Havoc very carefully balancing himself. "You two ok?" He asked with concern.

"Yes." Jean quickly answered. "We're taking off now...just so you know that we're ok, and not missing or something."

He raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?" Havoc gave him a stern glare and then motioned to Catherine with a head movement, she was clinging onto his waist. "...oh..." It clicked with him. "I see...have fun kids." He teased.

Havoc nodded and turned with Catherine. "We will."

Roy smiled as he watched them walk off. It probably wasn't the best idea to let them go, but he knew how Jean felt about this girl, so it was in his best intrest not to give a warning. Letting people learn on their own was the best way to get them to learn; this espically went for Havoc.

Finally Roy had reached his goal, he picked up and paid for two plates of food. It consisted of four meaty ribs a buttery baked potatoe and coleslaw. He balanced the two plates of food in his hands and headed over to where Riza was sitting. He laid the plate down in front of her and they bagan to eat in silence.

Riza looked up. "Where did Havoc and Catherine go?" Riza broke the silence.

Roy swallowed the bite of rib that he had in his mouth. "They're went back to his place."

Riza seemed concerned. "What for?"

Roy glanced over at her. "What do you think?"

"But? She's never had a boyfriend before..she's probably still a virgin." They sat for another few moments of silence. She then stood up. "I'm going to go get them."

Roy placed a hand on her shoulder and gently sat her back down. "Test of faith Riza."

She thought about it. "...I suppose you're right." With that said she began to enjoy the food that Roy had brought her.

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The train ride was quiet, everyone had no trouble falling asleep; except for Edward. He had overslept that morning and wasn't exactaly tired just yet. He fidgeted in his seat, causing Winry to stirr and wake up. "I'm sorry, I woke you." Winry shook her head. "You can use my shoulder if you want."

She looked at him and smiled. "You don't mind?" Edward shook his head. "Alright." She laid her head down on Ed's left shoulder and closed her eyse briefly and then opened them again. "Hey..look at Al."

"What?" Ed looked at his younger brother who's head was up against the wall of the train. He was sound asleep. Looking next to him, Aria was laying back and alongside her was Rose who had her head down, she was holding the baby. Winry pointed at Al's left hand; it was holding Aria's tightly. Al seemed to have the remants of a smile on his face. "Aww, little Alphonse is growing up."

Winry nudged him and snickered a little. "Shh...you'll wake them." With that, the two of them drifted off to sleep next to one another again.

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FINALLY! GAH! I hate my brain and it's not good working-ness...you know what I mean. I have it done and that's all that matters.

**Chapter 15 - **_Havoc get's in a fight with someone over Catherine. Meanwhile...Where on the train is Edward? And Winry too! Where did they go? Al and Aria have a difficult time tracking them down in the darkness of the train._

Hehe, I'm evil. Remember, the more reviews I get the more I'm encouraged to write!

Hope you liked it!  
Read and review please:D


	15. Chapter 15 Me and You

I AM SO SORRY AGAIN! I suck...and I've been working on my DA pictures...I haven't postesd because of these reasons. But! To make up for it, I stuck in a cute scene with Ed and Winry...so don't shoot me...people keep shooting ShadowCloud...I'm just afraid they'll start _open firing_ on me any second now! From now on, I'll try to update my story once a week, probably on Tuesday or Wednsday; depending on how stuck I get after this chapter, I shoudl have a definate date for you come Chapter 16.

Truth be told, I wrote some of this Chapter when I was...well let's just say, I was enjoying my Sake a great deal when a good idea came to me. Evidently, I had to go back and edit it...hardcore. Don't type when you're drunk...it doesn't work very well. I'm pretty sure I fixed all the spelling errors...so you can actually read it now.

Enjoy! XD

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**Chapter 15 - Me and You  
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Al stirred from his sleep and opened his eyes. Quickly noticing is hand clasping Aria's he smiled and let it go; he really did like her, but it was too soon to do anything. Biding his time was all he could do for now. Looking across the little box they were sitting in, he noticed that Ed and Winry had disappeared. The door closing off their section had been left slightly ajar. He gave Aria a nudge.

"Aria...wake up would ya?" He shook her shoulder lightly.

She yawned and stretched a little. "Ah...Al...are we there already?"

He shook his head. "Sorry to bug you...but did you see where Ed and Winry went?"

Aria rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "No...I didn't. Did you need something?"

Al shook his head. "Not really...but I am kind of thristy..." Aria's eyes lit up a little.

"I could go for a drink too...did you want to go get something at the food car? I have some money on me." She smiled and held up her little coin purse.

Al nodded. "Where's the food car?"

Al stood up with Aria. "I think it's near the front, they're next to the furnace so they can cook food." She stretched. "I'm pretty sure they're open all night.

Al thought for a second. "Maybe Ed and Winry went there already to grab something." One would think that, after a big meal at the bonfire, you wouldn't be hungry in the middle of the night, but this was Ed that they were talking about. The two of them left the little section that that were sitting in, leavnig Rose to sleep quietly with her baby.

Closing the door behind themselves, they headed down the hall and to the next car. They proceeded through each consecutive car, being as quiet as they could; everyone on the train was sleeping so it was best not to disturbe them. Finally they reached the front car and the little set up they had for the hungry passangers.

After getting a drink and headding back to their seats, neither came into contact with either Ed or Winry. "Where in the world could they be?" Al checked back in their seats, no one but Rose and Ravi. "Should we go looking for them?"

Aria smiled. "If you want to I'll help you."

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"Hava--slow down." Cathrine bent over to gather her balance. Havoc slowed down and stood next to her, he knew that she drank way too much for her own good, but who was he to try and tell her to stop. He did mention that she should slow down a couple of times, but her only reply was that she 'Came from a long tradition of drinkers, the skill has been passed down through the generations'. Or something to that effect.

He placed a sentemental hand on her back and rubbed up and down. "You should sit down." Cathrine sat on the edge of the bridge that they had been passing, it was a thick edge, it looked like the edge of a grand castle; she sat between the two big rungs in the solid stone bridge.

Resting up against the side of the stone next to her, she looked up at Havoc helplessly. "Ya kno...I really like you Havoc...I really like you so much." He smiled, her speech was a little off, but she got her point across. "I want you to take me back to your home...I don't want to be left by myself." She slumped her head down.

Havoc smiled and knelt down in front of her. "Don't worry, I won't leave you here."

She shook her head, eyes closed, and she reached out and took his shoulders. "No...thas not what I mean. I mean I don't want you to go now or ever." He was a little confused. "I'm so shy about everythin and I don't know what it's like to have a boyfriend. I'm 26 and you're my first boyfriend." Her eyes began to fill up with tears. "I'v never even had my firs kiss." She began to bawl into his shoulder.

"Uh...It's ok." Havoc tried his hardest to search for words, but they seemed to be lost in translation. "I mean, you have a boyfriend now...what does the past matter?" Cathrine quelled her sobs and looked at Jean, tears still soaking her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm here now...that's all you should think about."

Cathrine clumsily whiped her face off with the back of her hand and tapped Jean on the shoulders. "Get up." He stood up and helped her to her feet. She staggered slightly. "You don't care that I'm still a virgin do you?" She blurted out. Havoc blushed a little at first hearing this. "I mean, you've been with women before right, I figured you wouldn't want me becaused I don't know what or how to do anything."

Havoc smiled. "I can show you, it rather easy."

Cathrine smiled and hugged him, slipping down around his waist slightly. "Really? Than you, you're so good to me, I have to pay you back, lets let you teache me tonight okay?"

Havoc's smile widened as he placed his arm around her. "That would be great. Let's go." He walked alongside her for a few meters when her legs gave out beneath her and she landed on the ground. Fortunatly Havoc slowed the process by holding on thightly. He was relativly sober by now and was able to help her out. "Are you ok?" He looked at her with concern. She had fallen against the edge of the bridge and her back was resting up against the wall of the smaller section.

"Yea--" She said, her voice was distant, almost as if she were talking in her sleep. Her head leaned backward and rested on the lower section, she opened her eyes halfway and stared up at the sky and then closed them again, not saying another word.

Jean became worried. "Cathrine?" He shook her shoulder slightly. He got no response. "Cathrine...can you hear me?" She shook her again, but this time a little harder. Still no response. What he had been fearing all night finally happened; she passed out. Taking her torso in his left arm and slinging her legs over his right, he picked her up in his arms. "Let's go..."

Havoc's conscience should have kicked in and said '_take Cathrine to **her** home_', but for some reason, it faild him, and he proceeded to head back to his own place instead. He only took two steps when Cathrine stirred and demanded to be put down by means of a slight struggle. She stood next to a pillar of the bridge and stood there silently.

"Cathrine?" He asked, a hint of concern in hsi voice.

"I still want you to take me home with you." He nodded. "I'm really sorry, I can walk now, I'll be fine." She tried to walk, she was only successful because of the bridge giving her support.

Havoc's mind bounced back and forth with possibilities. '_Should I take her home and sleep with her? That would really make my night...or should I just take her home and wait untill she's ready. What if she never wants to? But...she's way too drunk to make any real life altering decisions right now. What if she remembers this and she really wanted to do it? Then she'll be mad at me for not doing it with her. And then if I do and she really didn't, she'll never speak to me and I'll lose my only chance to be with her ever again...GAH!_' He ruffeled his hair.

"Jean?" She said, a mild dazed tone in her voice. "Are we going to do-ttonight?" Her words slurred together somewhat.

Jean Sighed and shook his head. "Not tonight."

"I guess we could tomorrow night then." Havoc smiled. "Now...if'yull excues me." Cathrine leaned far over the edge of the bridge.

All Jean could do was smile and heave a little sigh. "Would you like me to hold your hair for you?"

"Yes please." She said rather shaky, holding onto the edge of the bridge.

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"Anything?" Al shook his head. They had been looking all over the train for Ed and Winry for a half an hour, they were about to give up when Aria pointed to the back of the last car. "That's the only place that we didn't check."

Al took note that she was pointing to the back door. He wondered why his brother would be out there, not only was it the middle of the night, but it was rather cold. "I guess we could check there." The two of them headed to the back door and turned the knob, it only jiggled. "It's stuck." He fought with it for a few seconds when the door finally opened revealing Winry hunched over Ed who was leaning off the back of the train between the rungs of the railing.

"There you are." Aria said standing from behind Al.

"We've been looking for you two..." He examined his brother, who's back was turned and came to a conclusion. "At least I know why you two were out here."

"Yeah, we've been here a while now." Winry had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and one had been draped over Edwards back.

"Uhh..." Ed gave an ill, groan of pain.

Al smiled, he was glad they found the two of them, but he couldn't help but feel a little bad for his older brother. Lately he had been getting motion sick on long train rides, this was no exception. "Would you like me to bring you a drink brother?"

Ed waved a hand at him, he didn't even turn around. "No...that's ok." His voice was weak and shaky.

"You guys head back on the train. I'm sure he'll be fine soon enough." They smiled at Winry and headed back in the train.

Alphonse closed the door behind them and gave a warm smile to Aria. "He'll be fine, let's just head back to--" Aria moved forward and hugged him tight. "Wha--?" He blushed, his arms straight at his sides. "What's this for?" Not tht it wasn't welcome, just unexpected.

Aria looked up at him and gave him a sweet smile. "I really like spending time with you Al...It's uh...I've never really felt happy around any one like this before...I just want to say thank you again for going through the task of taking me with you." She released her grip slightly when Al placed his arms around her and hugged her back.

"I told you, it's no trouble, I wanted help you...because I...uh-I really like you Aria...I care about you a lot." Al blushed heavily upon saying this, he tried to stop himself from saying it, but it came out of it's on accord. Sure he had kissed her before, but that wasn't vocal. Actions speak louder than words; the reason for that is the words are just too damn hard to say at times.

She squeezed him tightly. "I like you a lot too Al..." They stood there for a few seconds in embrace, they both knew that until this marriage contract was broken, they were not allowed to be together. Aria had read into the contract more and realized, if she was caught breaking agreement in said contract, it was punishable by imprisonment. She released her grip and stood a foot away form him. "Let's go back to our seats." Al nodded and followed her.

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Ed un-pressed his ear from the door. "Finally, I didn't think they'd ever go back." Ed clapped his hands together and touched the door knob. It made a click, thus signifing that it was now jammed once again.

"I think it's cute that Al likes her, she's really nice." Winry smiled, she was spreading her blanket out on the wooden floor of the back of the train.

Ed agreeded with a nod. "Yeah, she's a pretty girl too, I'm happy for him."

Ed knelt down as Winry sat on her blanket, it was getting cold, so that's why they planned to keep each other warm. "Now where were we?" Ed crawled towards Winry and pushed her back on the blanket, resuming what they were doing before they were inturrupted. He kissed her lips softly and ran his fingers through her hair.

Winry gave a little moan of pleasure as she wrapped her arms around Ed's neck in sweet embrace. Ed broke the kiss and smirked slightly. He leaned in and nibbled on her neck a little causing her body to contort somewhat. "Ed...that's naughty..." She returned the gesture and then bit down a bit harder. He doubled over in delight, the juxtaposed pain and pleasure was thrilling.

Ed placed a knee in between her legs and then moving it forward a little, it came in contact with a very sensitive area. Winry winced a little and Ed simpered a smile as he traced his hand down to the hem of her shirt. "I thought it would be...this too." He moved his hand up her shirt and felt his hand along her soft tummy. Lifting her shirt up to the edge of her bra he leaned his head down and kissed her abdomen and ran his tongue down to her navle.

Upon doing so, Winry took his head in her hands and tilted his head up to look at her. "How about we leave that for when we get back home."

Ed rolled his eyes and smiled. "Fine." He said playfully, tugging her shirt back down to it's original position. They continued to kiss and caress one another.

The train they were on would reach their destination around six in evening the following day, so they had plenty of time to come up with excueses and diversions for Pinako. Keeping their relationship a secret for the time being seemed like a good idea, getting caught would mean disaster. They hide their love, only for a short while.

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There ya go! Another one under my belt! I hoped you like it. I actually have another character that everyone loves (or hates) coming into the next chapter...keep posted people. :P And I know Ed's a little OOC, but I'll touch on that in the next chapter.

**Preview -** "_YOU AGAIN! I thought I got rid of you!_"

OH! Go to my homepage and then to my DA account! I have a picture of Aria and Al posted! It sucks, but I'll fix it up later, after I'm done my pic I'm working on now. (I like comments just as much as I like reviews!)

ALSO! I just thought I would like to state that I have a job lined up for myself when I'm done this whole maternity leave thing. (Hates not working! X-X) I'm joining the Reserve forces! (That's the soft part of the military!) WIth my skills at the computer, I'l likely to land myself a high paying desk job that I can actually call a 'career'. I'm signing up later on in Fall. I can't wait.

**By the way, if you're wondering why I posted this chapter twice...it's because the first time I waited ALL night for it to show, and it didn't...I hope it does this time, I hate keeping you waiting any longer.**

Thanks again people.  
Review please. XD  
VVVV


	16. Chapter 16 Back Home

OK...there is something in this chapter that doesn't get explained, I'm saving that for the next chapter...so don't worry. And yes, you will know what I'm talking about when you read it.

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**!I HAVE AN ANNOUNCMENT!**  
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**_MY DAUGHTER HAS GOTTEN HER FIRST TOOTH! XD  
_**...that is all...enjoy the chapter.

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**Chapter 16 - Back Home**  
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'_I had been noticing it more and more for the last couple of days, he's been changing. Not much, and only when he's around me. It's strange..._' Winry's became lost in her thoughts as they walked from the train station. Saying their goodbyes to Rose and her little one, they headed back to the Rockbell's home. Aria was in complete rapture at the meer sight of the flowing feilds of Resembool, she was on cloud nine.

Ed and Al talked about the disturbance in Lior and they reminised about the first time they went there. Little by little Al's memories were coming back, and he was regaining the weight that he had lost from being lost within the gate. Not eating for four years really took it's toll on the body; he was still rather thin, but he looked a lot better from when Ed first brought him home.

'_Is this really the real thing...is it love?_' She looked at Ed, his face had matured a lot in the last couple of years and he had gotten taller too, a trait that he admired a lot. Not that much taller, but he stood an entire inch over her. He had toned muscles from working all the time, and his hair had gotten longer too, he was the embodiment of perfection, by her standards anyway. Though, he really always was.

Winry sighed as she admired his features. Ed caught sight of her staring and he smiled. Winry blushed a little and smiled back. '_He may be different in some aspects, but he's still the Ed I grew up with, not that I have a problem with that though. He's more affectionate and open now, a little shy about exploring new things, but I think that's cute._' Winry remembered the first time that they kissed in the library, he was shaking like a leaf. But getting over that first initial hurtle was the hardest; from here on out would probably just be minor shyness from Edward.

They had talked on the train earlier on the previous night, when neither of them could fall asleep...

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Ed and Winry headed to the back of the train, it seemed to become a custom for them to go there and talk when they traveled together. They had their legs hanging over the back of the train as they watched the ground speed by below them. The only light they had was from the ever present moon, shining in all it's waning glory. "Kind of glad the moon is still out, we wouldn't be able to see a damn thing otherwise." Edward broke the silence after only a few short moments.

Winry nodded. "Yeah...it'll be dark soon though, another week or so." She said, a hint of shyness in her voice. Winry had asked to go to the back to talk to him, but for some reason she wasn't talking.

"Winry?" Ed asked, she looked at him, he had this look in his eyes, the one she had seen back at the library. "Is the same kind of thing you had to ask me as last time?" Wriny blushed. "Well, if it means anything at all, I still don't think any differently of you."

She giggled a little. "No Ed, it's not about that, I believe what you told me." She paused again and then continued. "It' just...these last few days have been great Ed...I was just wondering...do you see it going anywhere?"

Ed looked at her confused. "Go anywhere? What do you mean?" Ed and his blond moments were few and far between, but they were there.

Winry sighed. "I mean us...this isn't something I want only for a short while, when I imagined myself with someon, it would be for a long time, in a long term relationship. And--"

"Of course I do...why?" Ed cut her off.

Winry blinked. "Wha...you do?" She said with surprise.

Ed blushed a light shade of red. "Well, yeah. I mean, Alphonse and I always fought over who was going ot marry you when we were kids anyway. I could always see myself with you, definatly."

She was touched, she never expected Ed to say something like that, it was so honest and yet so ramontic at the same time. It wasn't forced, it sounded so natural. "I..." She tried to search for words, but none could be found. She leaned over to give Ed a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

Before her lips could touch his cheek, he turned his head and her lips met with his. She smiled and pulled back quick, like she got a shock from him. "You're welcome." He said as he smirked at her. Winry smiled and they leaned in and kissed once again, this time for longer, savoring the alone time they had together. Normally Ed would be accompanied by Al, so his love life, and private time, was cut significantly short.

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Winry was quite happy about the whole thing, not only did she find someone to be with, but it was someone she knew all her life and trusted a great deal. She looked over to Aria, she had fallen for Alphonse, there was no way around it. Thought for some reason she looked kind of sad now. Only ten minutes of walking and she looked like someone kicked her cat. Winry thought for a moment.

"Um, Aria?" She looked at Winry. "Where's Kale?" Winry asked, concern in her voice. That was right, her little kitten companion seemed to have disappeared within the last day before they left. "I didn't see him on the train, did you accidently leave him behind?"

Aria shook her head. "Oh no, I didn't forget him, Elecia took a liking to him so I left him there with her. I overheard her talking to him the other day and she said that she'll be sad to see us go. So I got Kale to stay there with her. I checked with Gracia first though, so it's ok." Aria smiled, but it still seemed as though something was bothering her.

Winry let it go until she could talk to her alone. "What do you think Granny's going to have made for us when we get back?"

Ed flung his arms behind his head. "I'm hoping on stew, she knows how much all of us like it."

"I never really did get why you like stew so much, it tastes a lot like milk." Al said through a smile.

Ed shrugged. "I don't know either, it tastes different enough...and it's thicker. I don't really care, it's great and that's all that matters." Ed smiled as he spoke. They all chatted quietly as they got closer and closer to the Rockbell's house. The sun was beginning to set off in the distance and cast long shadows over the plains. It gave a warm orange illumination to everything it touched.

Aria looked over at Al, his face had a nice glow to it, he looked so cute. His grey-green eyes seemed as though they lit up in the sinking sun's light. She found herself lost in thought just gazing at him. She then felt a small poke in her side. She looked over to see Ed giving her a sly glance. "What?" She said sudo-surprised as though she didn't know why he poked her.

Ed simply shook his head and smiled. Aria blushed from head to toe. '_Does he know that I like Al? Of course he does, they're brothers, they tell one another everything. Did he tell him about our kiss in the library?_' Aria's mind flew with possibilities. '_What about that time on the beach a few months ago when we met up again for the first time in over two years?_' Aria's mind inwardly paniced.

She blushed and put her hands up to her face. '_Oh my._' Not that she was ashamed of herself, but she was kind of shy about boys, seeing as how she never had a boyfriend before. She thought about it for a second. '_Yet I have a husband..._' Piecing it together in her mind, it didn't make a whole lot of sence.

After another few minutes of walking, they came up to the end of the driveway. Ed squinted in the direction of the porch; it appeared that someone was over visiting. "Who in the world is that sitting with Pinako?"

Al squinted alongside his brother. "I'm not sure...kind of looks like dad." Al stated; his brother's eye twitched. "Ed come on, go easy on him, he's the reason I'm here now." Ed folded his arms abruptly and pouted, he usually did so when he knew he was wrong.

"I take it you're not all that fond of your father." Aria's obeservation was keen.

Ed looked off in the distance. "No, not really. He took off on us and didn't even show up or call when mom died...bastard. I bet he's trying to weasel his way back into our lives again."

Al shook his head. "Well, I'm giving him a chance, you can do what you like." Al never got the chance to know his father, so hating someone he didn't even know was rather difficult for him to do. Ed seemed to get angry at things for no good reason; he also had a bad habit of flying off the handle a lot, espically when something in regards to his height was mentioned.

They didn't speak all the way up to the house, Ed and Al may have been a lot alike, but there were some differenced that completly set them apart. This, their relationship with their father, was one of those things.

Sure enough, it was indeed Hohenheim sitting on the porch with Pinako, they were enjoying cold glasses of ice water when the four youths arrived at the house.

"Hey there." Hohenheim said as he smiled; Al smiled wide in return as his father greeted him. This was only the second time they had met since he got his body back. He vaguely recalled the time they met, for the first time, when he was still in the armour. But that memory seemed fuzzy, almost as if it didn't happen, like it was just a drem or something. But the memory was there, and that's what counted.

"Hi Dad." Al beamed cheerfully, though Al's smile faded as Ed walked right past, not a word said. Al shook his head. '_Ah, brother._' He thougt to himself, knowing full well that Ed was still sore at his Hohenheim, but now wasn't the time to argue, so he let him go inside without a fuss, this time.

"You're looking a lot healthire now from when I first saw you. How've you been?" The older man smiled as he put his glass down.

Al's smiled returned. "Pretty good."

Winry put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just going to show Aria around the house." Al nodded and the two girls headed off inside the house with Pinako. Hohenheim looked at Aria as she walked by, she smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

He looked back to his youngest. "Who's that?"

Al blushed. "She's a friend of ours who we met up with while she was visiting Central. She originally came form a small village called Lush."

His father seemed suspicious. "And what's she doing here...is she your girlfriend or someting?" He asked calmly.

Al blushed furiously. "Uh...we--,...no...she's married...she's just a friend." When said aloud, it kind of hurt. He really liked Aria, but until the marriage agreement was broken, they were to only remain friends.

"So?" He asked.

"So what?" Al was confused.

"So, that's never stopped anyone before." Hohenheim sat back on the patio chair.

"Dad! I'm not going to help her to cheat on her husband." He folded his arms. Al wasn't use to liying, so it was written all over his face that he had already done so.

"Did you kiss her?" Al blushed again and stumbled over a few words, then his father smiled. "You're a terrible liar Alphonse." Al was defeated, he hung his head in shame. Not because his father figured out he kissed her, just that he failed at liying. He really was terrible at it. Hohenheim rose form his seat and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't let it bother you." Al was slightly confused again, was that a hint of pride in his father's voice?

"There's a lot more to it than that..." Al sounded sad as he spoke.

Hohenheim nodded. "I figured as much...you can tell me about it after supper, ok?" His father comforted him; Al nodded and they went into the house to see what was cooking for supper.

They came in to see Aria kneeling on the floor petting Den and, sure enough, Pinako stirring stew on the stove. Al looked around. "Where's Ed?"

Aria looked up. "Ed? Oh, he's upstairs, Winry went up there to see if she could coax him into eating down here."

Hohenheim laughed a little. "He really doesn't like to make it easy for me, does he?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Why not?" Winry laid her head on Ed's back. As suspected, he was on his stomach, on his bed, sulking in his room. "It's not like he plans to leave you guys anymore...just give him a chance. He's trying his best."

Ed turned his head in the other direction. "Why should I give him a chance? Right after he brought me back, he took off again. He doesn't learn." Truth be told, that was exactally what had happened.

Winry snuggled her head into his back. "Just like last time, he probably did it for a reason. Besides, he's a guest in this house, you're suppose to treat guests with respect...or at least some decency." Ed pouted once again and gave a small grunt. "..." Winry thought for a moment. "Grandma is going out tonight, she has a patient that can't move either of his legs, she's going to be gone all night...if you behave youreself..." She rubbed his back lovingly. "I'll make it worth your while." A slightly seductive tone in her voice.

Ed blushed furiously. "I'm going to hold you to that." He said without even looking at her, smirking all the while. "...I don't have to make a point to talk to him do I?" He questioned.

Winry shook her head. "Just speak when spoken to...and be polite about it."

Ed thought about it for a minute and then nodded. "Alright then." He sat up and got off of the bed; they left the room and headed downstairs.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Well...this one kind of sucked too...and I tried to fix my dialogue like Letisha siad...but I don't think it worked...oh well, I'll keep practicing at it.

This chapter did move kind of slowly, but I'm building for another little arc, so just sit tight. :D

**Chapter 17 - **_Ed tells the story of how he got his brother's body back. Aria then tells how she's trapt in a loveless marraige; all the while Ed and Winry are upstairs 'asleep'._

...ok, it's a shitty preview, but I gaurentee the chapter will not follow suit. It'll be a good one.

(By the way, Raeven's first tooth is on the bottom, kind of on her right side...just so you know. :D)

Remember, the more reviews I get, the quicker I update.  
V V V V


	17. Chapter 17 Every Heart Part 1

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Every Heart - Part 1  
**

* * *

After a rather silent dinner, Pinako gathered up her things to leave. She had asked Winry to walk with her to the train station. Winry agreed and asked Aria to come along with her, she wanted to talk to her, thought she only said that she didn't want to walk home alone. Either way it was the truth, so it worked in her favor both ways. 

The two girls set out with Pinako a little after six and then headed for the train station. After saying their goodbyes to her, they began their twenty minute walk back to the house.

Winry finally gathered up her words and spoke. "Hey Aria?" She caught the red head's attention. "You seem to be troubled...what's wrong? I thought you were happy to come visit."

Aria looked down at the ground, a rather sad expression on her face. "Oh...I'm just worried is all." She spoke with a hint of quiet fear in her voice.

"Worried about what?" Winry seemed confused.

"You see." Aria began. "The person I'm married to is a really spitful man, he has no regard for anyone's feelings and he looks at me as if I'm a piece of property. I'm afraid he's going to track me down and take me back by force. He's crazy when it comes to me, I know he'll do it too." Aria looked as though she was defeated.

Winry raised her fist by her face. "Don't worry about a thing! If he comes we'll just take him out. I know for a fact that Alphonse won't let you go without a fight! And seeing as how he likes you so much, he'd be sad to see you go, Ed would hate to see his little brother sad, so he'll help protect you to! I just know it." She said, pulling her ever present wrench out of her pocket. "And then there's me...don't worry Aria, you're safe." Winry was as zesty as ever.

Aria still seemed sad for some reason. "That's great...but I still have one slight problem...I didn't even think about it before I agreed to come here." Winry listened to Aria quietly. "You see...I didn't think about the fact we'd be staying in the same house as Al...the temptation is there to break the agreements in the contract. If I do that, I'll go to jail...with all the protection, it still wouldn't help against the law. The law's unbendable." Aria sighed.

Winry raised an eyebrow. "Well, then just don't break the contract, it's not that hard." She shrugged.

Aria turned to Winry, a slightly insane look on her face. "Yes it is! Do you realize how hard it is for me!" Winry was startled as Aria got a little closer. "Al's just too huggable for his own good!" Closer. "I can't take it much longer!" Even closer. "I'm gonna go crazy!" Winry was slightly scared, Aria always seemed to be so calm, she must have really felt passionate about him. Aria backed off and composed herself. "I'm sorry...I'm just a little stressed is all." She hung her head down low.

Winry sweatdroped as she gave her a reasuring pat on the back. "Don't worry, we'll get you a nice cold shower when we get home." The two girls laughed about it as they continued to walk.

* * *

"So Havoc...I heard ya got lucky on Saturday." Breda proded with a wide grin on his face.

Havoc looked up from his work and then went right back to what he was doing. "Nah." He said, a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. "Nothing happened."

Breda sat on the opposite side of the table from him and positioned himself in the chair in such a way that he was sitting backward in it, the back of the chair facing Havoc. "You don't expect _me_ to believe that, she was half consious when you left with her." He ever so bluntly pointed out.

He agreed with his subordinate. "Yeah...and that why. I figured she wanted to remember her first time." Jean said as he exhaled some smoke.

Breda smiled. "Ah, an innocent...but that's never stopped you before." It was late and they were the only two left, so chatting like this was ok.

Havoc becam serious, he put out his smoke and straightened his papers. "Maybe so, but Cathrine is different. I want it to last, so screwing something like that up would really put a damper on the whole, 'relationship thing'." He spoke calmly. "She talented, strong, smart and beautiful. That's not even mentioning the fact she can drink me under the table. She's a great girl and I really want this to work between us." After Havoc had finished speaking, the door to Mustang's office opened.

"Goodevening gentilmen!" Armstrong's powerful voive boomed. "A fine evening isn't it?" He said as he entered the room. "There you are." He said, guesturing to Jean. "Just the man I was looking for."

Havoc became noticibly frightened. Did he think that he so vugarly de-flowered his little sister, if so, he was a dead man right then and there. "What can I help you with." He asked, a shake in his voice.

Armstrong smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I heard that all went well at the bonfire on Saturday, I'm quite pleased." He patted him in a jonty way. "For if anything were to happen to my dear sister, I fear there would be conciquences." His eyes grew stern as he spoke and tightened his grip on Havoc's shoulder. "You understand, I take it." He got close to Havoc's face with his own.

Havoc winced under the pressure of the larger man's hand. "Yes sir." He spoke to the lower raniking officer with respect. He may have out ranked him, but there was no way on earth he could out run him, if need be.

"Good then." Armstrong craked his knuckels and stood up straight. "I'll see you tomorrow then." With that said, he took his leave, closing the door behind him.

The two men were left there, scared and alone. "Well..." Breda began. "I guess a conciense comes in handy at times, doesn't it?"

Havoc nodded in agreement. He shook a little. "She stayed the night...but nothing happened...and I've never been happier about that until now." Cathrine in fact did stay the night, they woke up in the same bed, chatted for a while and then went out for breakfast. Nothing happened. The thing was, Cathrine didn't even remember leaving the fire, she didn't even remember dancing around like a fool with Sheska. It was a good thing nothing happened, she wouldn't have remembered it at all.

Havoc got up form his chair and over to the filing cabnit. He took the papers he had been working on and filed them in their coorisponding places. Tonight was different though, she had asked to come over, she wanted to be with him tonight. Havoc swallowed a big lump in throat, after that little incident with the Major, he was severly doubting that it was still a good idea.

"Cathrine's coming over tonight..." Havoc said with a grimace.

Breda shook his head. "Your funeral pal."

* * *

He walked alongside her, he smiled at her and she smiled back. Roy couldn't have been happier with anyone else besides her. Riza had the same feelings toward him, they were happy.

For a good chunk of Roy's adult life, and some of his older teenage years, relationships were short lived and fast paced; this however, was different. He never felt like this around anyone before, it truly was love. He took her hand in his own and continued to walk the streets of central with the woman that he loved.

Riza couldn't help but have a smile on her face, going on dates in the city were always fun for her and Roy. They went to the best resturants, saw the gratest sites, and always went back to either of their own places to spend the night together. It had only been two months, but he had known her for so long, it was as though they were together for years.

In accordance to her wishes, she had wanted to keep their relationship a secret until she had seen a ring; and so she did. She looked down at her left hand, and to the diamond that sat ever so quaintly on her ring finger. Roy was serious about this, he had bought it for her long ago, but never showed her until now. When she asked how long he had it for, he didn't give her an answer. All he said was that it was here now, on her finger, and that's all that mattered.

"Roy..." She stopped and looked up. There was an voice resonating from an open window, a singing voice to be exact.

Roy stopped and looked up to where Riza had motioned. It was a woman sining softly in the upstairs window of a house, she was holding a baby in her arms and rocking him gently to sleep. It looked to be a boy, it was swaddled in a light blue blanket. "A baby huh?" Roy smiled at her. "Are you trying to say something Lieutenant?"

Riza gave him a playful slap in the arm. "Use my name Roy." She smiled and then followed it up with a nod. "And yes...a baby...I've always wanted one, but I never had the time; that is, because of my job. The lack of a husband also was stopping me." She looked deep into his eyes and then placed loving hands on either side of his face. "Do you think we could have one someday." She asked in a loving tone.

Roy nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't mind a son to look up to me. Or even a daughter would be great. I've always had a soft spot for children." He paused and thought about what he had just said. "...Let's have one now." He said, a wide smile on his face.

Riza bacame startled. "What? Are you serious?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing, was he really and turly telling her the truth.

Roy nodded and placed his arms around her waist. "Definatly! No one's at war right now, I'm in no threat of being sent away, so I think this is a perfect time." Roy thought again. "But we have to get married first...and since I know you're about as fond of religion and church as much as I am, we'll recieve 'justice of the peace' and then we can have a baby. It would be the best thing in the world." He smiled wider, if it was even possible.

Riza grew excited and threw her arms around him and hugged her 'husband to be' tightly. "Absolutly. Oh Roy, this is so amazing. I thought you might have wanted to wait...but this is so great." Tears began to form in her eyes, she hadn't been this excited in a long time. She whiped the tears away and looked up to Roy. "Both of us aren't on till the late afternoon...let's go to the judge then."

Roy agreed. "Yes, let's." They smiled and kissed out in the middle of the sidewalk. There were a few on-lookers, but no one major. They parted and continued on to their resturant they loved to go to, they had reservations for seven-thrity, neither wanted to be late.

Neither of them were fond of 'the old fasion' way of doing things, so Roy getting down on his knee and proposing to her probably would have made her laugh, Roy was far from mushy. She liked it just the way it was, they were happy and no longer alone.

* * *

Sorry about the lack of lemon, I originally got into a groove with my writing and the cahpter was over 4000 wors long...so I had to cut it in two. The next one will be up as soon as a get a few reviews... 

The EdxWin lemon exists! and depending on who reviews, we'll see how fast it get's updated...hey, you never know, I might update twce in one day...could happen.

NEXT CHAPTER...THE CONTINUATION OF THIS ONE! Muhahah!


	18. Chapter 18 Every Heart Part 2

GRAAAAAAAAAAAA! (explodes!) "..." (pieces self back together) There! There's your god damn lemon! GAH! I don't know why, but this one seemed to just keep on going and going and going and going...and you get the point. I couldn't end it! It just wouldn't happen. So what I said "F--- IT! IT'LL BE 5000 SOME ODD WORDS LONG!" ...sure enough...it was...(dies)

But anyway, I put the whole thing in there, no sencorship...I did keep it tasteful though, so I'm pretty sure FF won't eat my ass for breaking the TOS. I kept it as innocent as an M rating will get.

Here you go, your eye-rapingly-long-lemon-chapter, as promised!  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 18 - Every Heart - Part 2**

* * *

"Let's hear this story then." Hohenheim broke the silence. The girls had just walked in the door and sat down in the living room. Aria sat quietly in between Ed and Al as Winry was out in the kitchen doing the dishes. She was aware of what was going on with Aria, so doing the dishes was more of a priority. 

Aria inhaled and then exhaled deeply. "It's not that long of a story; just a depressing one is all." She said with a twinge of sadness. "It actually started before I was born. My mother's business was in dept and she needed to get a loan at the bank to help with her due's until she fixed the current money situation. My father acted without my mom knowing and signed a contract saying that my mom was to give her first born's hand. To be married to the banker's son or daughter that is, depending on what she had. She couldn't get any credit anywhere else, so my father thought that was the only option. Dad was nice, but not very smart, he thought that being married to the bankers son would have made me happy and wealthy. Boy was he wrong."

Aria changed positions on the coach. "Mom wasn't able to do hard manual labor due to back problems, so she was completely strapped for cash. Considering she didn't want to live in poverty, in a way, they really didn't have any other choice." She smiled somewhat. "On a good note, it worked, mom's business was great and we became well known. She was pregnant at the time Dad signed the pre-contract, so after her child was born, they had to sign the follow up. That's the one we have." Aria stated as she pointed over to the table on the edge of the coach.

"Right here." He grabbed it and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Their father picked it up and skimmed it. "Aria's mom was the one who wrote the second contract, I guess she thought that the banker was going to try something sneaky if he wrote it, so her mom wrote it instead. Considering they couldn't break the first one, she stuck a loophole in the second one." Al said as his father eyed the papers.

"So what's this miraculous loophole?" He asked looking over the top of his glasses at his son's little friend.

Aria smiled. "If I get my birth record name changed back to my mother's maiden name, it'll void the contract and I'll be able to legally divorce Felix. The contract states very clearly that 'Aria Renne Heket' has to be married to Felix, but if Aria Heket doesn't exist, then the contract is void and will no longer hold me." She lowered her head and smiled. "The only problem now is the wait."

"Yeah." Ed chimed in. "Even with my position in the military, I couldn't scare them into putting a rush on the name change forms; apparently there's some sort of back up with mail away papers recently." Ed said as a general statement to the room, not really directed at anyone in particular.

"I guess that makes sense." Hohenheim stated; everyones attention turned to him, even Edward looked at him. "That's actually the reason I'm here. You remember that uprising in Lior with Cornello's old followers?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with it?" Ed asked, he instantly became worried.

Hohenheim sighed. "There's been some group of people changing their names, trying to hide from the law. The sketchy situations they were coming from made a lot of others go on hold for the investigation of these people. Sometimes there would be two or three of the same papers signed and passed in from the same people, they got really bogged down with work. Then there was a report that Second Lieutenant Havoc submitted, he stated that the man who detonated the bombs in the church got away. He looked scraggly and unwashed. He also said that he had a wild look in his eyes, almost like he was insane. The police officers across the country were asked to keep an eye out for him. They did a background check on the guy who got away, and apparently he was one of the people who submitted numerous name change papers. Each one filled with discrepancies." Hohenheim crossed his arms and his expression became serious.

He continued. "He, or someone who matches his description, was spotted in the next town over, so I've been sent out to investigate. Seeing as how you were busy, and this was my home town, they thought it was befitting for me to go."

"What's this guy wanted for?" Al asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

Hohenheim sighed. "Man slaughter." The room fell deadly silent. There was a killer, and he was on the loose. It didn't sit well with any of them.

Ed nodded and asked. "Are there any photo's?" Hohenheim shook his head. "So we really don't have all that much to go on...I take it that's why you came here...you're looking for our help with this." Ed raised an eyebrow. A killer was really nothing new, Edward had dealt with Barry, this guy was probably no different; not to mention, if he was in the state that his father said he was in, it was more than likely that he wasn't all there, even less so than Barry.

The older man agreed. "Looking for one person in a city of thousands is a little difficult. He was spotted in the next city over, not out here in the country side. So tomorrow I wanted to go out looking for him; would you two mind accompanying me?" He asked, a little hope in his voice.

Al smiled. "Sure, I wouldn't mind."

Ed turned his head and looked out the window. "If I have nothing else better to do, then fine..." He folded his arms and sat back.

His father smiled at him, Ed didn't seem as cold toward him. Hohenheim knew that his son would never forget what he did, but if he could put it aside and just move on, he would be fine with it. "Thank you both."

Aria then stood up and smiled at them. "I hope it all works out...I'm going to see if Winry needs help with the dishes." With that she left the room and went into the kitchen. Aria peeked around the corner to see Winry frantically scrubbing the pot the food had been cooked in. "Do you need any help?"

Winry looked up from what she was doing, an irritated look on her face. "If you can get this off, then yes." She held up the pot and showed the burnt mass on the bottom. Apparently someone forgot to turn off the stove when they were done cooking and the remainder of the stew burnt to the bottom of the pot.

"Let me see." Aria took the pot from Winry and placed it on the counter. "Hmm...do you have a sharp knife?" Winry reached over by the window where the knives were kept. She handed it to her. Aria proceeded to scratch the bottom of the pot.

Winry sighed. "I already tried that already, it'll take forever."

Aria removed the knife and laid it down on the counter. "Oh, I'm not trying to scratch it off." She held up the pot and showed that she had scratched a transmutation circle in the bottom of it. "When food burns like this it turns into a little bit of protein and lots of carbon. When I know that, I can change it's form. I'm no good at breaking things down, but I can reshape them." With that she touched the circle scratched into the burnt pot and activated it. A blue glow emanated from the pot and then faded soon after. "There..." she removed a black ball from the pot, it fit in the palm of her hand. "And the pot's clean." She smiled and held the pot up to show Winry.

"Ah! That's amazing!" She took it from her and examined it further. "You also got rid of the scratches the knife made. That's great, thank you."

Aria tossed the little black mass of burnt food into the garbage. "No problem."

Winry placed the cooking utensils in the pot and stored it under the sink. "Umm...Aria...can I ask you another favor?" Winry questioned in a low voice. Aria turned to her and then nodded. "Can you and Al keep Hohenheim busy for a little while?"

"Any reason?" Aria was a little confused.

Winry nodded and then blushed a little. "Well...yeah..." She hesitated, wondering if she should make up a fib to try and avoid embarrassment. Then she decided to go with the truth. "I want to spend some time with Edward tonight...but I don't want his father to find out...do you think you can keep him down here?"

She gave her a sly smile. "Ah, I see." Aria giggled and then replied. "No problem. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's talking about things I like. I take it he's an alchemist." Winry nodded. "There we go, I'll talk his ear off if need be." She held up a fist. "It'll be great! I wanted to know more about him anyway."

Winry smiled warmly. "Thank you Aria; I'll have to pay you back somehow."

Aria rubbed the back of her head. "Think nothing of it, you're already giving me a place to stay, that's more than enough."

* * *

"She knows a little alchemy too." Ed stated. They had been talking about their trip to Lior and how they came to run into Aria once again after returning to Central. 

"That's right." Al added. "She uses her alchemy to condense her medicine."

Hohenheim's eye's lit up. "So she was the girl who helped Colonel Mustang." He asked. Al nodded. Just then Winry and Aria came back into the living room.

"Hey guys..." Winry began. "I'm going to call it an early night, I'm way to tired to stay up." She waved and turned to go up the stairs. "G-night."

"Goodnight." Aria called as she watched Winry disappear upstairs. "Hohenheim was it?" Aria began, grabbing Hohenheim's attention. "Winry said that you know alchemy too, were you the one who taught Ed and Al?"

Hohenheim watched Aria sit on the opposite side of the coach next to him. "No, actually the boys just used my books to teach themselves. They're quite talented."

Aria's eye's widened. "Wow, you must have had a lot of books."

Hohenheim laughed slightly. "Well, not that many, but I had the 'Introduction to Alchemy', so that got them started on the right road." He stated with a smile. Hohenheim was truly proud of how his son's had grown up, despite the fact that his eldest looked down upon him, he was proud just the same. They chatted for about twenty minutes about alchemy back and forth, they apparently had a lot in common for two people who were so separated in age.

"Well you have to remember..." He continued. "I've been doing alchemy since I was their age." He smiled, it was nice to see someone who was actually willing to talk to him, Ed just seemed to brush him off all the time, and Al usually was being drug along side him.

Aria was shocked. "Since you were their age! What made you get started in alchemy?" Aria continued to prod.

"Well that's kind of a complex story...before I start, does anyone want something to drink?" He stood up and pointed toward the kitchen. They all nodded.

Hohenheim then approached the kitchen and disappeared through it's door. "Ed." Aria said quietly. Once she got his attention she motioned with her head toward the stairs and mouth the word 'Go.'

It took him a second, but he caught on and stood up. "Thanks." He walked to where the stairs met the ground level. "Actually, never mind my drink, I'm bored, I'm going to bed." With that, he headed up the stairs and out of sight.

"Alright!" His father yelled form the kitchen.

Al looked over at Aria who was sitting across from him, a confused look on his face. He pointed up the stairs.

Aria smiled and she held up a finger to her mouth. "Shh..." She smiled again.

He nodded. "..." Al was shocked. Was his brother was with Winry? Sure he knew that he like her and all, but he didn't think they had a relationship. He was going to mention something to him for sure tomorrow. Ed should have know better than to keep a secret form him.

"All we have to do is keep your dad busy for a little while..." She stated rather quietly. Al nodded in agreement. Covering for Ed wasn't one of his favorite things to do, but he had no choice now. And Al in this situation, he really didn't mind all that much, he knew his older brother would have done the same for him.

* * *

Winry heard a light knock on her door. "Come in." She said quietly. The door cracked open and Ed's frame appeared in the doorway, accented by the light of the hall. Her heart began to race, even though she was expecting it, seeing it happen made her kind of nervous. This was the first time Edward actually came in her room with the intention to stay there for a while. "Hey..." She sat up on her bed as she greeted him. 

"Hey..." He replied. Closing the door behind him, he leaned up against it, his head slightly lowered. A heavy blush crept across his face as he began to leave the door and walk over to Winry's bed. Sitting on the edge she wrapped her arms around him. Ed gave a nervous sigh. "Can't believe this..."

"What?" Winry turned to him, she seemed a little taken aback.

"Oh." Ed was surprised. "I didn't meant that in a bad way...it's just that." He went silent for a moment. "Have you ever thought about something for such a long time, you wonder what it'll be like when it finally happens? Well, I'm having one of those _'it's here' _moment's right now. I guess I'm a little nervous."

Winry rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah...me too..." She looked at him, a little confusion in her gaze. "Do you think this is too soon?"

Ed thought about it for a second. "Maybe...but if not now, when?" The two of them sat there in the darkness, the only light in the room came from an open window on the other side of the room. It didn't light the room, but it lit up key elements that made it easy to walk safely around the toolboxes and wrenches laying about.

"I guess you're right...but what if I get pregnant?" She asked, a little worry in her voice.

Ed's world came to a screeching halt, and his mind caught up to what she just said. "For some reason...that thought evaded me till right now." Ed smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"So what can we do about it?" Winry spoke, a little flustered. "Maybe we should wait...I could get Nelly to pick me up some condoms at the drug store tomorrow...I'm too shy to do it on my own."

Ed raised his hands in defense. "Same..." He blushed heavily, this was going to happen, and soon. "Well, we have Al and Aria talking to the old man down there...we should probably tell them it's OK." Ed went to stand up, but was tugged back down to sit on Winry's soft bed.

"Well..." Winry began. "...there's no sense in wasting this time we have alone together..." Edward could feel the nervous blush creep up all over her face and neck, He pulled his bare feet up onto the bed, he traced her cheek softly with his left hand.

Winry took his hand in hers. "I'm a little scared." She spoke softly. Ed felt his heart almost stop; he knew how she felt. Sex may not have been eminent, but this was the next best thing, it was nerve racking.

Ed pushed her back lightly, causing her to lay out flat on the bed, her head on the familiar pillow. "Don't worry, if you get too nervous, we can stop. The last thing I want is to push you into something you don't want to do." He gave her a reassuring smile, she returned the smile and relaxed her body.

Ed swallowed all his fears and placed a knee on either side of Winry, straddling her hips. His heart felt as though it would beat right up out of his chest, he held his own and leaned in and kissed his beloved. Her lips were so soft and her tongue, as it pressed against his own, was so warm and inviting. He knelt right above her, his hands resting under her arms that were half laying on the bed, half reaching up to caress his neck.

He broke the kiss and leaned his head down to her neck and proceeded to kiss and nibble on it lightly, she sighed deeply, passionately. The actions were the same as the other night, but tonight, the pressure was on, this was the night that both of them would, for a short while, expose themselves to one another without shame. If only for a short while.

Winry took his face in her hands and looked him deep in the eyes. "Be nice...ok?" He nodded, not a word could escape his lips, all his concentration was going to not messing anything up. He took Winry's words to heart, he had to be careful.

"I only have a vague idea on what to do...you're going to have to tell me what feels good...ok?" She nodded. Ed proceeded to undo the buttons on the front of her blouse. He fumbled with a couple, but managed to get them all undone. "So pretty." As he parted the shirt, he brushed his hand against her stomach. His eyes since adjusted to the dim light in the room and he could see her almost perfectly. She had on a simple light blue bra, it matched the shirt she had on. And she also had on her favorite dark brown skirt, it too soon would follow the shirt.

She sat up slightly, allowing her shirt to fall off her arms onto the bed. Her skin was so smooth and warm, At least that's what Ed thought, but at that moment that was all that mattered. He went to undo the bra, the only shielding her from his vision. She quickly stopped him.

"Ah ah, your shirt..." It really didn't seem fair to her for all of her clothing to be removed without a little equivalent exchange.

"Right." Ed smiled and quickly reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. Revealing a nice, toned and slightly tanned torso.

Winry sighed a little. "Mmm." She traced her hands over his chest, from his tummy, up by his shoulders and then his shoulder, and his auto mail.

"..." Winry caressed his shoulders as if they were both real. "You know my automail has no feeling right?" Ed said rather low, as if her doing what she was doing was actually teasing him.

She smiled. "That's OK," She began. "I like all of you; even the parts I made. You don't mind me enjoying them do you?"

Ed was moved, he kissed her. "Not at all." Whenever someone came into contact with his automail, they treated as though it was just a machine, like it had no life or real importance. But not Winry, when she looked at Ed, she didn't see Ed with some automail limbs, she just saw Edward. It made him feel so normal, in a way.

He smiled at her and then, while still in a sitting position he reached in behind her and tugged at the bra clip, no success. He then got a really good idea; taking the straps off her arms he tugged the bra down and turned it around till the snaps were at the front. He then undid them with ease. He then looked upon Winry's exposed chest, her breast were round and they looked incredibly soft. He checked the expression on her face, she was blushing deeply, her cheeks were so red, he could swear they were glowing in the dark. Then when he thought about it, his were probably no better.

"Don't be so embarrassed, I think you're beautiful." Ed's romantic side showed though.

She smiled. "You're right, I'm just a little shy is all." She reached around his shoulders and hugged him tightly, being pressed against him wade her feel not just warm on the outside, but on the inside as well.

Ed thought so as well, he was already incredibly turned on by the whole situation, but this topped it. He took his hands and cupped both her breast with them. Winry moaned slightly with pleasure; it felt kind of strange to her, having someone else touch her body in such a way, but it was nice; Ed's automail was a nice added effect too.

Soon after, he traveled downward, his kisses leaving a trail all along her tummy and then her waist. Lifting his head up some he took on of her legs up in his arms proceeded to kiss the inside of her thigh.

* * *

The room was dark and only being lit by a small candle on the nightstand. Cathrine lay under the covers, Jean right above her, their bodies pressing against one another in a loving way. "Does that hurt?" He managed to stammer out breathlessly in between his motions; it had been a while since he was with an innocent, he was doing his best to be careful. 

She nodded, only slightly. "A little..." Her eyes were sealed shut, he could tell she was nervous.

"Do you want to stop?" Though he really didn't want to, he paused for a moment.

The blond girl shook her head. "No...just go slow." She held onto his shoulders and tugged him in a little closer, and she hugged him tight.

"Ok..." He continued, slowly, softly making love to her.

* * *

Dinner had gone quite well, though the ride home was long and drawn out, the rest of the night seemed to be going good as well. They had decided on Roy's place after all. He had her there, pinned against the wall, arms above her head, kissing her passionately. She smiled as he traced his kisses all along her neck all the way to her collar bone. "Roy..." She began. "We should head into the bedroom." Riza smiled in a lusty way 

Roy looked up from what he was doing. "Hmm?" He made eye contact and then nodded. With one quick motion he bent over and took Riza up in his arms and slung her over his shoulder.

"Ah!" She let out a yell of surprise. "Roy!" She smiled and giggled as he headed up the stairs with her in his loving grasp.

* * *

Using his automail to support a good portion of his weight he leaned down and kissed Winry on the cheek. "How's that?" His free hand, the non-metallic one, was erstwhile hidden; it could not be seen past the skirt that Winry still had on. 

"Really nice actually." She said, a quiet hush in her voice.

"That's good." He pressed his hand in further. "..."

Winry gave a slightly moan of pleasure. "Ed...Mmm." Her hands clasped onto the sheets below them. Looking straight above her she looked straight into Edwards eyes. He had been watching her carefully, seeing if her facial expressions change, just in case he hurt her in some way. "Go faster."

"Faster?" He smirked somewhat and moved his fingers in a rapid manner. She cried out; only for a brief moment until her cry was stifled by a kiss. "Shhh..." He said as he continued his actions.

"Edward...Mmm...Mmm." Her low moans drove him wild, he couldn't help himself, she was just so beautiful. "Ah!" She quickly turned her head into her pillow to muffle any noises that she would emit.

"Are you OK?" Just then, he could feel something at his fingers, it was almost as if it was a tug, or maybe a poke? Winry's hips started to move in a strange way, almost as if she was trying to get away but was being held back. "Winry?" He slowed his hand down and checked to see if she was OK. After only a few seconds, she paused and then laid limp on the bed, allowing her breath to catch up with her. "Uh? What was that?" He removed his left hand and placed it on the bed beside her.

She looked up to him, a dazed expression on her face. "I have no idea...but what it was...if felt really...really good." Pushing him back with her left hand she sat up. :Switch spots with me."

"...?" He looked at her, a little confusion was in his gaze; not that he didn't know what she was going to do, but he just wasn't too sure how she was going to do it. He took up a sitting position in the spot that she was just in.

"Sit back Ed." She said in a low voice, it sounded really promiscuous.

"Alright..." He sat back, his legs half folded beneath him. Winry leaned forward and kissed him lightly. Ed's face was strewn with a rabid blush that crept not only over his entire face, but his neck and chest as well. "Uh...Mmm..." Her hand traveled along his bare chest and then down to his waist. Going a step further she moved her hand down to the one spot that, when touched, caused him to inhale deeply, almost a hissing noise escaped his lips.

She smiled. "Hehe..." She continued to massage him, gently and then a little bit rough.

"Uuuuh...Winry." He leaned back, his legs straightened out somewhat. Supporting his weight on his elbows, he leaned almost all the way back on the bed.

"Do you like that?" She continued to rub him, still through the pants that he had on, and see his reaction and expression change; he nodded quickly, signifying that it felt incredibly nice. Winry gathered he thoughts. Just like Ed, she was still just a little too shy to actually look at him; so, just as he did, she leaned in close and kissed him again. "..." Carefully she reached her hand down the front of his pants and took hold of him.

(a/n - ...'dies')

"Ah...Winry, I...uh..." She allowed her hand to travel up and down in a rhythmic motion. The quicker she went, the lower Edward seemed to sink toward the bed. Luckily for her, the head board was in the way, he just leaned up against that. She took hold of the waistband of his pajamas and tugged them down to about halfway to his knees.

Winry smiled; she was a little worried she wouldn't do it right, but she was an automail mechanic after all, she knew how the body well and how it worked. She figured her shyness was what led to her uncertainty; though that didn't matter right now, she was there, and it felt really good. "Winry...uh...I'm..." Ed supported himself a little and sat up somewhat. Winry didn't cease her movement. "I'm going to...uh..."

"Going to what?" She said as though she didn't know; sh giggled a little at the thought. She watched his eyes travel around frantically only to land on a small box of tissue that she use to clean her hands off after handling something that was messy with grease and oil, it was on her night-side table. He grabbed a couple and sat up even more till his face was right next to hers.

His breathing became fast paced. Winry kissed his cheek, and with a quite a distraction, he managed to kiss her cheek in return. "Harder..." He said through stifled moans. She tightened her grip and kept a steady pace. "Ah...ah...aah...Mmmm." His teeth clenched, trying to keep as quiet as he could, his back arched back and his head leaned against the head board. Winry could see that his hands were covering himself and her hands as well.

She felt it, it was a strange feeling to her, almost like feeling a pulse beat, except a lot stronger. With each pulse, Ed's body convulsed slightly, and small pants escaped his lips; reluctantly, Winry moved her hands and . Then, there was silence and Ed fell over onto his side. "...haa..." he let out a satisfied sigh.

Winry tried to check the look on his face but it was shrouded by hair. "Was that any good?" Ed nodded. "You sure?" She double checked, he nodded again.

Ed sat up, keeping the tissues firmly in his hand. "Aaah..." He sighed again. "Yeah...that was pretty damn good." He said through a mile wide grin.

She smiled in return. "Always a good thing to hear. You know I pride myself on working on your automail. I wouldn't mind taking pride in this either...just between us of course."

Ed nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm not up for broadcasting my personal life. I--"

"Well!" They both heard from downstairs. "I'm-going-to-bed-now." Aria was speaking rather loudly.

"I think that's a sign for me to go." Ed said through a sweet smile then followed it up with a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Ed." She gave him a quick kiss back.

Ed stood up, fixed his pj's and then headed for the door. Opening it cautiously he peeked out to see if anyone was there; to his surprise, Aria was still at the foot of the stairs still saying something to either Al or his father. He quickly slipped out and headed back to his room.

Winry sighed and laid back in her bed for a moment, she had a rather satisfied smile on her face and happy thoughts running through her head. Sitting up she straightened out the blankets and fixed her pillow to the spot she usually had it in. She looked around the bed. "Where are my?...huh?" Her panties had seemed to have gone missing. She was sure she put them in a safe spot where they wouldn't get knocked down.

She checked around the bed and didn't see them; she looked behind the head board, and they weren't there either. It was no big deal, they didn't disappear from existence, they would show up eventually. Quickly, Winry went over to her dresser and grabbed a new pair and put them on.

Still, it seemed strange that they had just vanished like that. Not paying it anymore mind, she headed off to bed and had sweet dreams all that night.

* * *

THERE! The first lemon is done! Hopefully you won't have to deal with my lame ass brain and it not wanting to work ever again. Eff' you brain! (stabs Q-tip in ear) I had to put everyone in there, just to show you that everyone had the same kind of night...lame I know, but oh well, it poses some significance later on. 

I hope I don't have to take this fic down if FF doesn't like it...I'll cry, I seriously will. I hope they just warn me first...that'll never happen. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it.

And yes, the missing panties will pose as filler in later chapters. I don't put things in there for no good reason. Everything has a purpose.

Oh, and one other thing, I don't think I'll be doing the chapter previews for much longer, I might, but if not, oh well, I'll stick them in there when I want to put something special in...

**Chapter 19 **- _Ed, Al and Hohenheim tell the story of how Al got his real body back._

I've been waiting for this! It's my ideal of how FMA should have ended...it would have completely ruined the movie, but who cares! EdxWin forever!


	19. Chapter 19 Memories at the End

Woot! This chapter is just a little building chapter that leads up to the story of how **I **feel FMA should have ended. And I imagine my ending makes a little more sense, and it helps to retain mine and ShadowClouds sanity...stupid other side of the gate. ¬¬

Here you go, hope you like it!

Sorry for the late update, I'm getting evicted and I'm having trouble with writing. But it's well worth the wait. It's so cute, Al has one of those random perverted thoughts in this one! Hehe. I know you'll like this one ShadowCloud!

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Memories at the End**

* * *

Al woke up and checked around his bed frantically, he was in no danger what so ever. He had a dream that caused him to wake with a start, and even a little bit of a stomach ache. His mind was still not use to dreaming; being awake for four years straight seemed to have a bad effect on his sleep habits. Slowly his mind and body were returning to normal, but this transition period was beginning to bother him. 

Shaking it off he decided it was time to wake Edward from his ever present 'perfect sleep habit'. But upon checking his brothers bed, it was empty. He was there when he came upstairs the previous night. Al raised an eyebrow; had he managed to get up before him once again? Paying it no mind, he got up and stood at the side of his bed and stretched his arms high above his head and yawned loudly. Slumping back down he rubbed the sleep form his eyes and headed for the door. Opening it, he stepped out into the upstairs hallway.

Closing the bedroom door behind him, he checked the clock that hung beside the stairs. It read at ten after ten. Apparently he had overslept again. Maybe that was the reason Ed was getting up before him, Al had been sleeping a great deal lately. He ignored it and looked toward the spare bedroom next to Pinako's room. The door was closed; curiosity got the better of him and he walked up to it.

Aria was sleeping in this room. He smiled and placed his hand on th door knob, but stopped short. He thought for a moment. '_Should I knock? Or should I just proceed with caution...?_' If he knocked he might wake her if she was still asleep, but if he just went in it might make him look like he was peeping on her. "..." Reluctantly, he knocked. There was no answer. Considering he knocked first, it was now safe to enter without fear of being labeled a perv.

"Aria?" He peeked his head around the edge of the door. To his surprise, she was still in bed, sound asleep. Apparently she was a heavy sleeper; when he thought about it, Winry was the same way growing up, he found it amusing. "Hm-hm." He snickered to himself and approached the side of her bed and knelt down. "Hey Aria...wake up." He placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a light nudge. "It's after ten, you should get up..." He nudged her again. This time, with success. Her eyes flickered open.

"Hnnn...Aru?" She sounded tired, she shifted beneath the covers. "Mmm...hey Al...Goodmorning." She said, still under the covers. Once again she shut her eyes.

Al smiled. "Come on, you can't stay in bed all day."

She opened her eyes again and this time, she actually sat up, the covers wrapped around her chest and under her arms. "I know...I'm no good at waking up." She smiled; she tilted her head upward and sniffed the air. "I smell breakfast..."

Al copied her actions, sure enough, he could smell bacon being made downstairs. "I guess that explains why Ed's up. Come on, let's get something to eat." He stood up and extended a hand to her.

She smiled in return. "Mind if I got some cloths on first?"

Al's smile turned to a look of embarrassment. "You're not dressed?" He asked shyly.

The red haired girl shook her head. "It was kind of warm last night, I didn't bother with the nightgown."

Al frantically turned on his heel. "I, am **so** very, very sorry." He shielded his eyes, just in case his peripheral vision cause him to peek. His face was hot with blush.

Aria blushed a little herself. "It's OK. You go downstairs, I'll get dressed and be right down."

Al nodded. "K..." he left the room, a slight hurry in his step. Closing the door he practically had to catch his breath. '_She wasn't wearing anything...ho gosh..._' He composed himself took a deep breath, quickly he dislodged any naughty images in his head. Yes, even that one of her wearing just the cat ear headband; Al shook his head quickly from side to side. He didn't think that girls slept without clothing on, he was rather shocked. Al was a little naive like that though, his innocence was unsurpassed by most, though he did have a tendency to slip up every now and again.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and headed down the stairs and around the corner to the kitchen door. He saw his father going back and forth between the stove and the counter, cooking and preparing food. "Dad? You're the one making breakfast?"

Hohenheim didn't look up form what he was doing. "Yeah...I figured I would. I was kind of hungry, and it would be rude to make myself something without making something for everyone else." He paused and turned around. "Your brother still likes bacon right?" Al nodded. "Good. I figured it would draw him down here just like it did when he was younger." He then continued with breakfast.

Al could tell his father was trying really hard to make amends for what leaving, he thought it was really nice. Ed hated cooking, so making him breakfast seemed like a nice enough thing to do. He may have left them for a great deal of time, but he never forgot about them and how they were. Take in mind, since he had left, Al had changed a lot. He wasn't a baby anymore. Alphonse only had a couple of rather hazy memories form when he was there, but that was all. Shortly thereafter, his father had left. Al was about three at the time.

"So I take it Ed isn't up yet." Hohenheim placed some toast in the oven to keep warm as he turned to face his youngest. "Hmm?"

"Oh, uh?" Al thought for a moment. "He wasn't in bed...I figured he was up already."

Hohenheim glanced out the window. "Do you think he might have went somewhere?"

Al shrugged. "Not sure." He then heard some footsteps behind him. Upon facing the stairs he saw that Aria had come down to eat.

"Good morning Aria." Hohenheim greeted her. "Are you hungry?" She nodded. "You can start eating if you like."

She smiled. "Sure." With that, she decided to gather up some food from the oven that had been prepared already.

"Why not." Al headed over and followed Aria. Hohenheim had heated the oven up to keep the food inside warm for when everyone decided to actually get up. "It's been a while since I've have breakfast, almost a week now." He sat down at the table and dug right in. Gracia made breakfast, but it was earlier in the morning for Elicia, she had to go to school, so eating first thing in the morning was important. The four older guests seemed to like to sleep in, so they missed out all week.

Aria smiled. "You must be thankful that you have your body back." She took a bite of her food. "Mmm, cause this is delicious." She saw that Al nodded in agreement; then looking over at Hohenheim. "Thank you."

"No problem." The older man smiled. He really thought Aria was a sweet girl, and fun to talk to as well. "Hmm..." Aria looked at him again. "You know..."

"What?" Aria questioned shyly.

"...'Crowly' was your husband's last name right?" Aria nodded. "...that's Trisha's maiden name." Hohenheim stated just out of the blue. Al seemed surprised too.

"Really? Do you think there's a relation?" Aria was shocked to hear that. From what she heard from Ed and Al about Trisha, their mother, she was kind and loving, there was no possible way that he could be related.

"Probably not..." He sat down at the table, a cup of coffee in his hands. "I just thought it was interesting." Just then, they could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. A soft pat on the floor and then a clunk, and then another pat followed by yet another clunk. It obviously was Edward, his automail had given him away.

"Morning." Ed yawned and stretched.

"Morning brother...where were you? You got up before me again." Al questioned, it was the second time in a row that it had happened.

"Oh, sorry, I was just in the bathroom." Ed smiled as he turned his gaze toward the lovely smell of bacon coming form the oven. "Is Pinako home?"

"No." Al began. "Dad actually made breakfast for us."

Ed was shocked. He gave his father a look and then he stood up. "Really?" Ed recalled the time way back when he was a kid; their mom had been sick in bed and Hohenheim got up really early to make sure they all got fed and off to school. From what it smelled like, it was the same thing he had made last time. It was a good memory for Ed to recall, he didn't have all that many.

"Ed?" Hohenheim caught his attention.

"Uh...thanks..." Ed thanked him, a little guilt in his voice. He treated his father so badly, yet here he was, eating food that he prepared for him. Though Ed didn't feel he should have eaten it, he didn't want to make his father feel bad about making it for nothing. '_Wait!_' Ed thought about it. '_Why should I care?..._' He sighed and gathered up half the food that was left; Winry hadn't come downstairs yet, so the last of it was for her.

"It's really good Dad." Al munched on an egg and smiled.

"It always was..." Ed followed up, a shy low tone in his voice.

Al smiled, maybe his brother was beginning to warm up to his father. He had his body back, everyone was together and happy, why not forget and forgive. Though he really didn't know what his brother was thinking, he was really hoping that's what it was.

"If it wasn't for you Dad, I wouldn't be eating this right now." Al beamed happily.

Aria swallowed a bite of toast. "Oh yeah, you never did get around to explaining how you came to get your body back." Aria looked at Al, he had a happy smile on his face, but upon hearing those words spoke, the smile faded.

"Yeah...we didn't did we." Al lowered his head slightly. He placed his fork down on the table. "I guess we could tell you now, before we head out to the city...Ed?" He looked at his brother who had already finished off his plate.

"I don't see why not...but wait for Winry." Ed thought for a moment. "Actually...I'll go get her." Ed rose form his spot and disappeared around the corner.

Aria seemed a little hurt. "You know...if it's too much, you don't have to say anything."

Al shook his head. "I don't mind...and besides, I think Winry might want to know as well...it's best we tell you now. An--" Al was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. "Huh?" The three of them turned to see non other than Pinako standing in the doorway. "Good timing."

She was a little confused. "Good timing for what." She held her pipe firmly in one hand and her suitcase in the other. "I don't see Edward...is something wrong?" She questioned the young blond boy.

"No." He answered. "We were just about to tell the story of how I got my body back."

Pinako smiled. "I never did figure out what happened. I just let it go. I'll count my blessing when I get them..." She looked over at the young girl sitting at the table. "Aria was it? How was your stay last night?"

Aria smiled. "It was great. Very comfortable. Thank you for having me."

Pinako smiled that sweet old lady smile of hers as she bit down on her pipe. "Think nothing of it. I'm not about to let Al's first little sweetheart sleep out in the cold."

Al blushed. "Hehe." He laughed a little. They weren't sweet hears as of yet, but he knew he had a chance.

Aria smiled and giggled a little. "Alright then."

"So did you leave any of the bacon for me?" They could all hear Winry's voice from around the corner.

"Of course." He snickered. Really, he only left her two pieces. Ed was rather greedy when it came to his bacon, but he left her an extra piece of toast instead.

"Good." Hohenheim began as he watched Ed and Winry enter the kitchen. "We might as well get this all out while everyone's here." Everyone found a spot to sit and listen. "Where do we begin?" He turned his attention toward his oldest. "Ed?"

"Let's see here...everyone already knows how Al and I ended up the way we did...Mmm...we might as well start from when the Philosopher stone was created." Ed sat up straight. "Since Al's memories are few and far between, I'll fill in this bit." Ed cracked his neck.

Ed told the entire story of how they came to be at the point where Al was the Philosopher's stone, all about Scar, the Homunculus, Holy Mother Rose, Dante, the whole nine. Ed continued. "As things kept on happening, we found ourselves in the underground city that use to be Central. Al had been taken there after being kidnapped by Envy. That's when I was finally able to confront that bastard myself."

* * *

"Show me what you really look like!" Ed proceeded to punch Envy in the face once more, ever so dominantly perched over him beating him down. 

"You really wanna' see?" Envy gave an evil smirk. "Fine!" There was a quick flash of light and Envy's face changed just before Ed could land another punch. He no longer had his long greenish hair and that snotty, arrogant look on his face.

Ed's heart dropped, he couldn't believe his eyes. "You're his son..." Just then, Edward felt a sharp pain in his chest, not just any sort of pain, a deadly kind of pain. His eyes sunk down to see that Envy's face looked like his own, like his own father too.

"Envy was the very first Homunculus created by Hohenheim over 400 years ago from our son who died prematurely of mercury poisoning." Dante stated, the young Ravi held tightly in her arms. "You could say...Envy's like your older brother." She smiled wickedly.

Before Ed could make another move, the pain that was in his chest turned to a stabbing pain. He looked down to see none other than Envy's arm changed into a large sharp spike and was driven right through his stomach. "Auu...uh..." No words could escape his lips, he knew what had happened, and it was too late to do anything about it. He could then feel the blood, his blood, pour out and around his waist and onto the floor.

Envy pushed Ed off of himself and removed the spike from the young boy. "Ha...I always hated being second best." Envy shook off the excess blood and walked away from Edward, who was now bleeding profusely on the floor.

'_Al...Alphonse...I..._' He could only mouth the words, nothing more. His vision blurred, went dark and he slowly slipped away, slipped away from everyone, his brother, his friends, everyone in the world. And at that moment, Edward Elric, was dead.

"Brother?" Al's voice rang out in disbelief through the silence.

* * *

For crying out loud! IT'S DONE!  
Woot!

Like I said, sorry for the late update. I was stuck at the end of the chapter and it just wouldn't finish. Luckily for me, I wrote a oneshot and magically, I can write this again. It's weird how it works.

Anyhow, tell me what you think! I'm dying to know. (hehe...dying...hehe, get it?) I've been itching to write this bit for a while now, so now that I finally get to get it all out and share it is a big treat for me. I can't wait!!! XD

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate your reviews! They really help!


	20. Chapter 20 Redemption!

Well...for some reason the chapter didn't appear...so here we go again, I'm updating. It did this once before; I updated, but the alert wasn't sent out. Anyway, here's the second part the the flash back.

I had to find some way to make up for that horrible cliffhanger in the last chapter. Two updates so soon should make up for it huh?

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Redemption!**

* * *

"Wait a second." Aria chimed in. "If you died then...how come your here?" She seemed relatively confused. 

Ed smiled. "Yeah, I was kind of confused when I came back. They had to explain it to me a couple times for it to sink in." He looked to his brother. "You're going to have to tell the rest of it, sadly, I don't remember any of what happened after Envy stabbed me."

Al nodded and sighed. "Right after brother got stabbed..." Al thought hard to conger up the words to tell them what happened.

* * *

"Edward?" Rose's soft voice emanated through. "Edward!!!" She screamed in disbelief. She held her hands up to her face and took a step back. "No..." 

Al tilted his head up to look in Ed's direction. "Brother?!" Al's body, who's body seemed to sit up all on it's own, though almost completely gone from Gluttony devouring it. There were no legs left to his armor and Gluttony was threatening to dispose of him entirely. "I don't think so!" Al, in a fit of anger grabbed Gluttony by his face and with a great flash of light, Gluttony had disappeared completely. "Brother." With the rest of his armor now restored he slowly stood up and approached Edward who was no lying lifelessly on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Dante handed the baby off to Rose who held him tightly. "You're ruining everything!" Dante clapped her hands.

Al held a hand out in her direction, without another movement the floor was changed, no longer was the circle that he was bound in visible, the circle had gone and a new circle appeared beneath Dante. The floor warpped and wrapped itself around her, rendering her useless. He turned, without hesitation and pointed his hand at Envy, who was now closing in fast.

In a flash, the floor sprung up and impaled Envy in all of his seal markers. One through each shoulder, one through the very center of his chest, one through his forehead and lastly, through his Oraborus tattoo on his leg. Envy tried his hardest to move, but nothing, he had been bound. He slumped his head back. "Bastard." Slowly he closed his eyes and slipped into an unconscious state, hovering a few feet above the floor, suspended by the spikes.

Al lowered his head and clenched his fists. "Brother..." Al knelt down beside him and touched his face. "There's still a little color in his cheeks...I know I can bring him back...but first..." He stood up again. "I have to summon the gate." Al held his arms straight out at his sides and concentrated. "No...I...I don't have enough. The stone's too weak." His eyes glowed red with the power of the stone, but for some reason, it still wasn't enough.

He turned his attention to Dante. "If it wasn't for you none of this would have happened. I deserve some sort of redemption for all we've gone through."

Dante wiggled in the tight grasp of the transmuted floor. "Don't you dare come near me! You fool!" She screamed at him. "You could kill us both! Don't be stupid."

Al shook his head. "I don't care...Ed died for me and my mistakes...now if I have to suffer to bring him back, then fine, he deserves it." Al stood in front of her and raised his hands to her face. Rose, who was standing nearby stepped back and averted her gaze. "I'll use you to summon the gate...I'll use what I can to bring Ed back, and then...and only then, if there's enough...I'll restore myself." Dante shut her eyes and lowered her head. "Alright." Al concentrated once again and with a brilliant flash of light, Dante disappeared and before Al stood the gate, towering to say the least. The rest of the room seemed to be hazed over in yellow light.

Al approached the door. "Now..." He placed his hands, his leather clad hands, on the door and began to pull with all his strength. "I have to get Ed's soul back from here." He struggled for a moment, but then stopped when he felt a knock at the door. "What the?" He took a step back. Fortunately not a moment too soon, the right side of the door flew open and slammed against the pillar that held it fast.

Through the darkness he could see something, or maybe someone, coming through the void. "Alphonse!" He head his father's voice resonate through the door. Al felt his body become weak and it quickly crumpled to the floor. There was a loud struggling yell and then finally Hohenheim appeared through the gate and in his arms, he was carrying someone.

Hohenheim stepped through the gate and knelt down on the floor, the trip through the gate was taxing and he needed to catch his breath. Alphonse could only move his arms. "Dad?" He backed his body up using only his arms. "What's going on?" Hohenheim stood up, a body cradled carefully in his arms. It had sandy blond hair that was long; the body looked to be starving to death, the ribs were showing through. Al stared in awe, could this life form really be what he thought it was. Was that him? "Is that?" He could help but feel this sinking feeling.

It was indeed Al's body, apparently it had aged while trapped within the gate. Not only had it aged, but it didn't receive any sustenance, it was starving to death. There wasn't very much left to him. "Al." Hohenheim smiled, laying the body down on the floor in a sitting position. It was alive and breathing, but it's eyes looked as though it was dead. it had no soul after all, so it was no surprise. He body had on a brown pair of pants and a small t-shirt, it looked as though his father transmuted his coat into something for his body to wear. He was glad he retained what little dignity he had left.

"My soul..." The semi-lifeless form spoke, it seemed to startle Hohenheim somewhat. "I have to..." The body began to move of it's own accord. Slowly, it rose to it's feet and with careful steps, and like a magnet, was drawn to his soul. It approached the vessel where his soul had been trapped for the past four years.

"No! I can't! Not yet! Not before I help Edward!" (1)Alphonse tried to get away form the soulless body, but it was no use, without his legs he just wasn't quick enough. "No!" He gave one last desperate yell in hopes the body would stop coming toward him. But no, Al's body had already clapped it's hand together and placed them on the empty suit of armor that Al's soul had come to call his body for the last long while.

Hohenheim was powerless to do anything, that tread through the gate left him out of breath and immobile. "..." He could only watch on in confusion as Al rejected the one thing that he had been striving for all this time.

"Finally..." Al's soulless body spoke once again. A brilliant bright light engulfed them both and caused Hohenheim to shield his eyes. There were a few alchemic flashes of lightening and then the gate, seemed to make a low growling noise. As quickly as it happened, the light faded away as did the gate. It was the moment of truth, did the philosopher's stone work?

"Alphonse?!" Hohenheim yelled. "Alpho--" He stopped short when his eyes readjusted to the light in the room. He could see Al standing there, his fists clenched tight. "Are you alright."

Al nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine...but Ed..." He had tears streaming down his face and dropping down onto the floor. "There's not enough to bring him back." Al sobbed somewhat.

"Edward?" Hohenheim looked around the room. He saw Rose stuck, scared, over in the corner with her baby; Envy in suspended animation impaled on spikes from the floor and finally, his gaze turned to his son who was laying on the floor, dead. "What happened?" Hohenheim managed to stand up.

Al swallowed hard. "He was fighting Envy...and he got stabbed." Al sobbed again, the tears just pouring from his eyes. Having not felt anything in the last ling while, it was relieving to know that he finally had his body back and could experience emotion once again. But did it have to be this kind of emotion? Sorrow. Al slowly approached his brother laying on the floor. "Ed?..." He knelt down and slid an arm under his head and his other arm under his legs. Carefully, he stood back up.

"Alphonse...are you OK, can you handle that?" Hohenheim asked, a twinge of sadness in his voice. He knew because of his actions, it now costed his oldest son's life. If he had just looked out for Al's best interest instead of his own, maybe Ed could have been saved. Hohenheim reached a hand up to where his shoulder had once been rotting away; from the gate, he was able to retrieve his lost soul and repair his body and bring Al's body back. All with a little power of the stone to spare. Had he have known that Edward was in the condition that he was in, he wouldn't have done it.

Al began walking toward the Exit. "Let's get back to the surface...I remember the way." He carried Ed in his arms. He was rather heavy with the Automail and all, but it was only a small burden.

Rose came out from where her and Ravi had been hiding and followed Hohenheim and Al out of the desolate city.

* * *

"You are to shoot and kill on sight. The Homunculus wear dark clothing, have dark hair and have also somewhere on their bodies have an Oraborus tattoo." Roy shouted out his orders to the small pavilion he had been given to retrieve the Elric brothers. He quickly winced from the pain of the wound above his left eye. Had it have been an inch over and down, he would have lost his eye. "Alright men!" He turned toward the opening in the church alter. "...Wait..." He looked down the stairs to see a figure walking toward them. "Hold on, I think we might just have to call this whole thing off." Roy starred patiently as the figure got closer and closer. To his surprise, it was Hohenheim of Light. 

"At ease soldiers, they're alright." Roy smiled wide, had anything happened to Ed and Al, he never would have forgiven himself.

Just then Riza came up beside Roy. "Did you say they're here?" Roy nodded, Riza smiled. "That's a relief, I found out that the underground cavern is like a maze. We might have had trouble finding them." She crossed her arms and awaited their arrival.

Hohenheim was the first to come through the door in the alter. "Finally. Al?" He looked back, Al was right there behind him. "Can you manage?"

Al now appeared through the door. "I'm OK."

Roy and Riza stood there in shock. "Alphonse?!" They said in union. Then they saw him, Al's body had been restored. He looked a lot like Ed, except a little younger and he had a softer look to his eyes. His hair, along with hi seyes, were a few shades darker than Edwards.

Al nodded. "Yeah...it's me." He half smiled and then looked down at Ed, the half smile quickly faded again.

"I see Ed's overdone it again." Roy smirked as he placed his fists on his hips.

"Not quite..." Al choked out.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Al's expression darkened as he knelt down to the flood and laid his brother down in front of the alter. Blood streaked and stained Al's arms and cloths, shedding some light on what he meant. The room fell deadly silent. "No..." Roy's voice sounded out in the silence. It was low and in denial. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

* * *

You thought I was going to finish the flashback huh!? No, no way. Not yet anyway. One more chapter and I'll get this all coming together! You'll love it! I know you will. So don't lose faith in me just yet! I'm the creative genius at work! 

Anyway, regarding the (1) in there...I tried writing that line, but then had to start over again cause I kept not making sense and laughing at what I was writing.

"Alphonse tried to get away from himself, he was took quick for himself and he lunged at himself full speed. His body held onto him tightly, Al was completely beside himself in what he was going to do." (pun, pun, pun!)

Yeah...I'm a bitch, making jokes at a time like this, oh well. I know that it turns out happy in the end, so it's OK.

Review and tell me what you think please! o  
**VVVV**


	21. Chapter 21 Return

OK...this is an important chapter, I think all will be well. And don't worry, the flashback ends in this one. :D

* * *

**Chapter 21 - Return**

* * *

"He always wanted to do everything on his own...never ask anyone for help...now it's cost him this." Roy looked down at Edward, laying there, not a shred of life in his body. "Idiot..." He muttered. 

"Brother was always like that...he couldn't help it...Ed always felt like everyone else's problems were his own." Al's face was wet with tears and they still came, over the sorrow of the loss of what he and his brother had worked at for the past four years. All was in vain. "..he meant well."

The ones in the church at the time who were familiar with Ed, even Riza, seemed to have tears in their eyes. They all sat there, not believing that this young boy had to suffer so, and now to leave his brother behind with what felt like nothing.

"We should go inform everyone what happened..." Roy walked over to the restful Edward and extended his open arms.

Al held up a hand. "I'll carry him."

"Are you sure?" Al gloomily nodded and once again picked Ed up and cradled him in his arms. Just as they were in the main isle of the church two familiar figures appeared in the doorway.

The shorter of the two walked forward. "I think this is it." Izumi's voice rang out in the dim light of the church. "Remind me the thank that boy." She had run into Russel and he had told her where he knew Ed was at. "Hm?" She peered across the church, to the center, there was a familiar face, carrying Edward in his arms. "Alphonse?" Her eyes widened.

Sig, who was standing behind her widened his eyes. "Is it really you?" He seldom spoke, but now seemed like a good time to pipe up.

"Oh my god..." She raised a hand to her mouth and began a walking sprint toward Al. "It's you right?" She stood in front of him and rested a hand on his cheek.

Al nodded in return. "But brother..."

"Edward?..." She touched his cheek too. Though this time, the feeling that came to her fingertips was not that of a warm one, it was the cold feeling of death. "..." Just as all the rest she could believe what she was seeing. "What happened...Who did this?!" She raised her voice.

Al cringed. "Envy stabbed him..."

"What happened to the Philosophers stone? It can't all be gone." Through her speaking with Russel, she knew the whole story about the philosophers stone.

"Actually." Hohenheim piped up. "...that's my fault." He explained what had gone wrong with him coming through the gate.

I have enough of the stone left to heal his body, but not enough to pull his soul from the gate."

"..." Izumi looked at Edward, she looked at Alphonse, and then finally, she turned and looked at her husband. She gave him a sweet smile.

"What are you thinking?" Sig spoke once again.

"You know these boys felt like my own kids...even now they still do." She turned to Alphonse who now had a worried look on his face. "And everyone knows a good mother would do anything for her child's safety."

"Izumi..." He uttered her name softly.

She led Alphonse down to the floor where he placed Edward once again. "That's why I want to offer my body as equivalent trade."

Al was shocked. "WHAT?! No, I couldn't! I can't!" Al clenched his fists. "Ed wouldn't want you to sacrifice yourself, that's not how he worked!"

Izumi's face grew fierce. "Well he's dead and doesn't have much along the lines of an opinion right now, so I'll decide for him."

"I can't!" Al screamed, a slight shake in his voice. "I can't ask you to do that! You've done too much for brother and I for you to have to go like that."

This statement was followed up by a loud cracking sound, the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Al stood there, dumbfounded as to what had just happened. "Stop crying and do what you're told!" Izumi's voice boomed through the church. "Regardless if you want to or not, I want you to do it..." Izumi lowered her gaze. "It's not like I have much time left." Al looked at her, he had a rather glowing red mark on his left cheek from where Izumi smacked him. "Without Dante's medicine, I'll be dead in no time. I don't want to suffer Alphonse...give me this one thing." He voice softened to a loving motherly tone. All the soldiers in the room just watched on, some in compassion, some in fear. Most in fear, Izumi's presence was commanding and her voice was strong.

"Heh..." Al had a slight smile on his face. Izumi looked puzzled.

"What could be so funny right now?" She questioned him.

"Well..." Al began. "It's just been so long since I felt pain...it just kind of shocked me a little...and if I don't do this, you'll have to feel pain." He rubbed the still rather sore spot on his cheek. "I imagine more painful than this." He turned and faced Roy who was hanging in the balance. "Colonel Mustang...can you get everyone to move the benches? I don't feel like moving Ed anymore, and I need some room."

Roy snapped out of his stupor and faced his crew. "You heard him men! Move these!" Roy commanded his soldiers valiantly. And in less than two minutes, the church floor was bare with Edward situated right in the middle.

Al walked to the front of the church and stood in front of the alter. "Are you ready teacher?" Izumi sat on the floor, her legs beneath her, and Edwards head resting on her lap.

"Yes. And hurry, he's getting a little stiff." She gave Ed's cheek a rub. "I can't only do this one last thing for you...so don't do anything else stupid. Not everyone gets a second chance." Izumi shed a single tear and it glided down her face and landed on Ed's forehead.

"Ready teacher?" Al's voice sounded.

Izumi nodded. "And try not to cry so much from now on. Ed never cried."

Al blushed. "Ed was always tough as nails though. That's not a fair comparison!" He stuck his arms straight out at his sides as he did down in the old central ruins. "You should look for Wrath when you go through the gate...he got pulled in there."

"I'll do that." She smiled and closed her eyes. Running a blind hand through one of Edward many bangs, she lowered her head.

Al clapped his hands together and touched the floor. As if form nowhere, a large transmutation circle appeared and surrounded his brother and his teacher. Al took a deep breath and then activated the array. A bright light surrounded the two of them and then the room grew hazy and light. Izumi looked around and before her stood the gate, an ominous sight to behold. It's doors slowly opened revealing an endless dark void.

Izumi stepped closer and was inevitably sucked in, the doors slowly closed and upon their closing the room returned to normal. Instantly, after the light died, Ed's eyes shot open. There was a light feeling in the whole room. A sigh of relief could be heard from several of the soldiers, Ed was back.

"Huh?" Ed rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Ah!" He clenched his stomach. "What the hell? ...Oh yeah." He remembered that Envy had stabbed him, but why was the wound gone? He could see through the hold in his shirt that it had been healed, was it all just an illusion, or maybe he was dead. Looking off to either side he could see the piled up church benches littered with soldiers sitting and standing around them. In the midst of all of them he spotted Roy and Riza.

"Uh...How did I get back here?" Ed recognized the church, it was the one Russel had told him about that led down to the underground. Roy, who Ed was looking straight at, pointed in the direction of the alter. "Hmm?" Ed looked forward, and he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. "A...a-a...Alphonse?" He stuttered.

Al, who was trying to catch his breath, looked up and smiled. For the first time in a long time, Ed could look his brother straight in the eyes and see the eyes of the brother he grew up with his whole life. "Hey brother." Al spoke, a rather weak tone in his voice. The transmutation took a lot out of him.

"AL!" Despite his pain, Ed sprung up and ran full speed at his brother knocking him over in an overdone hug. "AL! I can't believe it!" He sat up and looked at him. "Your hair..and you...you're so thin. There's not much to you...Oh I don't care your back!" He hugged him again. "Al..." Ed sat back and rubbed his eyes. Ed, though he prided himself on being like a rock in many situations, allowed for this one moment of weakness. Tears streamed down his face. "God damn it...you'r here."

"Don't cry...come on, I just got yelled at for that." Al smiled as he put a hand on Ed's shoulder.

Ed sniffled, he didn't care who saw, his brother was back, and that's all he cared about right then and there. Roy had since approached the Elric brothers to lend a hand in case one was needed. "Crying like a little girl...that's pathetic...sorry." Ed had his head down and was laughing and crying at the same time as he spoke. He clumsily wiped tears from his cheeks with both hands.

Sig stood behind him and couldn't help but smile, Izumi had lived a good life and she devoted her last moments to these boys. "Ed..." He gave him a pat on the head.

Ed froze, then without a hitch quickly wiped his face of any remnants of tears. Izumi always got after Al for crying, so she would probably give him a swift kick if she caught him doing it. He looked behind him to see Sig towering over him and almost everyone else in the room. "Sig...what are you doing here?" He looked around to find his partner. "Where's teacher at?"

The room went silent. Ed looked to his brother who's smile had since faded. "Ed...there wasn't enough of the Philosopher's stone left to bring both of us back...she offered her life to return your soul."

Ed's face grew dark and through it all, he smiled. "I'm sorry for your loss Sig...but you know teacher, always having to go out her way just for us." Ed, with the help of Roy, rose to his feet. "She was suffering though...I imagine Dante's gone, without her, Izumi would have had a hard time living in her condition." Ed folded his arms. "..."

"Who's Dante?" Al asked as he stood up next to his brother.

Ed was confused. "What? Al, we fought her down in old Central, she was the one giving medication to teacher, she took over Lyra's body...you don't remember?"

Al shook his head. "I guess I messed up something with the transmutation...I don't remember all that much that's happened. I remember how I came to be in that suit of armor...I remember fighting down below...a few little memories in between and what happened here...but that's it."

Ed half smiled. "Oh well, it's probably best you don't remember most of it...I wish I could forget it sometimes." Ed gave Al a nudge. "Don't worry about it, let's get going."

A baby's cry could then be heard in the church. "Shh, little Ravi...it's OK, I'll get you something to eat soon...shhh..." Rose tried to sooth Ravi who, just as quick as he started, stopped crying.

Al looked over to where the sound was coming form. "A baby..." A flash happened in Al's mind, he raised his hands to his temples. "Ah...I remember something." He turned his attention toward Rose. "We met you in Lior right? I remember something from that town now."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you didn't lose your memories, maybe they're just repressed."

Ed turned to Mustang. "You never know. The shock just might have been a bit much for you."

Al approached Rose and held out his hands. "Mind if I hold him?" Rose nodded and handed the baby to Al who in turn cuddled him snuggly. "Hey there...so cute." Al booped the little baby's nose lightly. Ravi reached up and took hold of Al's finger; his little hands were so soft and warm.

Ed smiled. "It's good to have you back Al."

"Yeah." Al nodded and flashed the ever noticeable Elric smile.

* * *

OK. so it sucked, sorry. I know it was a little half-assed, but I don't know, it just wouldn't come out on it's own. This was one of those chapters where I know what I want to happen, but it just won't happen for whatever reason. 

Stupid brain.

Oh well, tell me what you think. And just so you know, I'll be getting into Al and Ari's relationship after this. I'll touch on Ed and Winry, but for now, I'll give Al these next few chapters. I have something planned for Ed and Winry later on...hehe. But you'll have to wait.  
Aria's character needs a little more to it, so I'll let you guys get to know her a little more.

Thanks for sticking it out with me. :D I love you all! (In the only way that a writer can love her readers...yeah...that works.)


	22. Chapter 22 Him!

MUST...FINISH...WRITING! MOVING! TODAY! AHHH!

Yeah, I forgot to mention to some of you guys, I'm moving! Yeah, just a city over, but I'm happy to get the hell out of Glacé Bay, it sucks ass here. Sydney is where it's at! Or something like that. it's where I grew up so I'm really happy to say the Me, Dave and Raeven are getting a brand spankin' new apartment! Two floors at that.

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Him**

* * *

Aria sat there in complete amazement, she felt as though she was listening to some tall tale, or maybe a story form a children's book; if she hadn't seen it for herself, she probably wouldn't have believed it. She allowed her thoughts to catch up with her and she spoke. "...Wow..." Was all she could muster. 

"Yeah." Winry followed up, she too wasn't aware of what happened to the two of them, all she really concerned herself with was the fact that they were back. "That's crazy." She too was at a loss for words.

"Things were rather difficult..." Hohenheim began, the kitchen turned it's attention to the older man. "But, from my understanding, with all you boys have been through, it's no wonder you did so well. I'm proud of you." He smiled.

"Mm-hm." Al nodded and smiled in return.

"Yeah, yeah." Ed brushed him off, though he had the slight glimpse of a smile on his face. "We should get going into town soon. There's no telling if that psycho is going to take off or not." Ed tried every instance to not speak with his father. Ed knew it was because of him that Al was back, but then again, it was because of him that his mother died. It was a difficult decision to make; should he forgive him and move on, or should he make his father remember what he did for the rest of his life.

"Umm? Pinako..." Aria spoke.

"Yes dear?" She gave the young girl a sweet smile.

"How far down to the river do you own?" Aria figured that since this was a rather nice house, it would have a bit of land around it.

"Right down to the bank, why?" She bit onto her pipe that was present between her fingers.

"I was wondering, that bare patch a ways down...do you plan to do anything with it?" She questioned, flipping a strand of red hair between her fingers. Pinako shook her head. "Would you mind if I made a garden there? Autumn's about a month away, so I want to get some harvest vegetables growing."

Pinako was shocked. "Really?" She smiled wide. "You go right ahead. I was never good at gardening myself, but if you can do that bare patch some justice, then be my guest."

"Thanks!" Aria rose form her seat. "I'll go into town and get some seeds and such...would it be OK if I went in with you guys?"

"Sure." Hohenheim spoke to her. "I'll go call a cab."

* * *

Downtown was rather busy, people were getting ready for the Fall season so it was rather crowded. Ed looked at the cab drive off into the busy streets. "I'm going to go check the police station to see if anyone's spotted him. Meet back here by the end of the day, six sounds good." Ed said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed off without another word. Ed always loved taking the initiative in these kinds of situations, so it was no wonder he was spouting off orders. And it wasn't like anyone was going to protest.

"Alright, I'll head down to the dock to see if he tried to board any of the ships." Hohenheim stated and looked at Al and Aria. "I guess I'll see you two later." He waved and left in the opposite direction the Ed went in.

Al looked over at Aria. "We should check some of the shops here, see if any of the shop keepers have seen him."

Aria quickly took his hand and tugged him off in the direction of the flower shop. "First I want to go to the flower shop before everythings gone, then we'll go look around." She held his hand tightly in her own. She paused. "That's ok with ou thoug..." She smiled.

Al nodded and blushed but he couldn't help but smile, it was almost like they were on a date in the city, once again. Aria continued to hold his hand and gently tug him along, so they wouldn't get seperated of course. He remembered the first time they went into town together, this was just like that time. It made him happy to feel as though Aria wasn't so inwardly troubled. So long as he behaved himself, no harm would come to her, so he had to be careful to what he said and did around her.

Her husband had no idea where she was, but that wasn't stopping him from knowing people who know her. Once that thought crossed his mind he gave her a slight tug to stop her from walking. "Aria..." She came in close.

"Is something wrong." She seemed a little hurt, was Al upset?

"I was thinking..." He spoke quietly. "What if your husband knows people in this town...couldn't they tell him you were here?"

Aria's smile faded. "I never even thought about that." She though about it for a moment. "Well, if they don't recognize me, then that would work right?"

Al nodded. "How would we do that though?"

"Like this." Aria tugged him in between two buildings and in behind some boxed, out of plain sight. When she stopped she held him in front of her. "Watch." She touched her right temple, beneath the bangs that shielded half her face most of the time, and with a slight glow, the red dye in her hair ran out and dropped to the ground in the form of a small blood red stone. "There." She took her pony tail out and allowed her now chestnut brown hair to flow freely. "I never take my hair down, and it's always red, so people shouldn't know it's me unless they know my face."

Al was still dumbfounded. "But...but how did you do that?" He pointed at her hair.

"Oh, I guess I never showed you." She lifted her bangs up and revealed a small tattoo on her temple, about an inch across, of a transmutation circle. "This was the easiest way to dye my hair without going through the trouble of actually dying it."

Al smiled. "A tattoo. Did it hurt?" He examined it closer.

"A little...my other one hurt more. But we should get going, you have work to do." She began to walk out of the alley way.

"Yeah...wait...you have another tattoo?" He questioned; Aria turned her head and nodded.

She smiled. "I'll show you someday."

"Alright...wait! Where is it?" Aria began a quick walk. "Hey come on!" Al chased after her.

"I said I'll show you someday!" She teased as she evaded Alphonse chasing her.

"I want to know now! That's not fair!" He ran after her though the crowd of people.

* * *

The older looking man leaned over the counter, his black hair was slicked back and tied in a short pony tail that stuck out from the back of his head. "You haven't paid into your loan within the last six months, I don't know what kind of business you're running..." He straightened out his black swede jacket, speaking with a pompous arrogant tone in his voice, he looked down on the little shop keep lady. "But if it's not the kind of business that pulls in any money, then I don't want to be associated with you." He turned and began to walk out of the store. "Pay fifty percent of what you missed by next month or I'll foreclose on this little hovel you have going here. I have enough of my own troubles to deal with than to put up with your foolishness. Good day."

He opened the door and quickly shut it again, it's bells cried out as the frame of the door slammed shut. Normally the sound of the bells ringing was a wonderful thing to hear, but the bell now all the bell tolled was a bad omen. The little flower shop lady sobbed as she sat on her little stool behind the counter. She was on older woman, around sixty-five, and recently he husband had been ill and their money had been tight. His doctor bills weren't that expensive, but the last few shipments of stock for her shop had been damaged, so she lost out on quite a bit of sales.

"Oh no..." She wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked out the window. She smiled at the passing blond boy. Alphonse was always really kind, he had run errands for her when he was younger. Phylis, the little old lady, hadn't seen Alphonse in years, she was surprised to see him so grown up, he looked so handsome. It really warmed her heart to see that all was well and he was OK; knowing that he was involved with the military made her worry about him and his brother.

Just then she noticed the young girl beside him, she was about half a foot shorter than Al and a very pretty face, and very vibrant dark green eyes. At first Phylis was going to go to the door to say 'hi', but it seemed that the two young teenagers were actually coming into the store.

"Hey Mrs. Mullins" Al greeted her as he entered the store.

"My, my, my, look at you." She rounded the corner of the couter and took his face in her hands. "You've grown so much." She smiled and shook his hands in hers. "So..." She smiled. "Are you still taller than your brother?"

Al laughed. "Uh...yeah...but he doesn't like me saying so."

Phylis snickered. "You're such a good boy, to what do I owe this lovely visit?" She folded her hands in front of her floral print dress.

"Actually, Aria here wanted to get some stuff for a garden." He took a step back and motioned Aria to step in front.

"Mmm, well I don't have that much money, so I'm going to need something that produces season round. Do you have eggplant, sweet potato on peppers?"**(1) **Aria smiled sweetly at the older lady.

Before Phylis could get a word in, Al placed a hand on Aria's shoulder. "You do know that I get a military salary just like Ed right? I don't mind buying you a few seeds."

"Really?" Aria seemed a little shy to ask, she knew how tight money could get at times.

"Yeah. And besides, it's not like it won't pay off in the end. We'll be able to eat, and or, sell the veggies you grow, so it's equivalent trade." He smiled at her.

"You're right, let's get bunch then." Aria loved gardening, if she could do it all day and not collapse from exhaustion, witch has happened on occasion, she would do so. Coming from a long line of farmers, it was in her blood to be a natural when it came to having a green thumb.

Phylis nodded and smiled. "You just tell me what you need, and I'll point you in the right direction."

Aria unfolded a little piece of paper that she had in her hand. "Ok...I should start with the root vegetables."

* * *

After a seed shopping spree, Aria and Al stepped out of the flower shop carrying a big bag filled with little packages of seeds. Some were flower seeds, some were herb seeds but most were vegetable seeds of all shapes and sizes. "That sure is a lot of seeds."

"Yup. I can't wait to get this garden going, it's going to be fun. And don't worry, I can take care of it myself." She smiled proudly.

"Are you sure? I mean, that's a lot of seeds." Al raised an eyebrow, she couldn't be thinking of doing all the work herself.

"Well..." She thought about it. "You can help me harvest the--" She looked straight ahead and almost all the color ran right out of her face.

"What's wron-AH!" Al attempted a sentence but was stopped short when Aria pulled him in back in the shop.

"That's him!" She ducked down on the floor beneath the window next to the door.

"Hmm? What's going on you two?" Phylis looked over the counter in confusion, what could have her so spooked.

"He's here." She said, a blatant tone of fear in her voice.

"Who's he?" Al questioned.

"The guy with the black hair and the swede jacket...do you see him?" Aria looked up at Al; he was looking out the window.

"You mean Mr. Crowley, he's the one who gave me the loan for the store...he said he'll close me down if I don't pay him next month." Phylis looked at the handsome sum of money that Al gave her and smiled. With that money, she was sure to pay off what she needed. "Do you know him?"

"I see him now." Al pointed directly at him. "Right there."

Aria pulled his hand down. "Don't point...that's him...that's my husband..."**

* * *

**

**(1)**I'm going by "Harvest Moon" standards, but what's planted in her garden isn't much of any importance. Basically, it's just filler so they're not talking about nothing and Aria's not planting phantom food.

There you go, I was going to make this one a little longer, but I have to be packing!  
We're going today and I don't know when we're getting the net hooked up at the new place, so let's hope we don't have a ridiculously long wait like we did last time we moved.

Anyhow, I'll update as soon as I can.  
Remember, leave a little review.  
**VVVV**


	23. Chapter 23 Aria

Ok, so it decided not to send out the update once again, I'm starting to think fanfiction doesn't like my fan fic...oh well, that's too bad. I'll just have to end the story on this chapter... 

The chapter isn't ALL about Aria, it just give a lot of informations about her, so don't be afraid, I'm still progressing in the story.

And no, there's no more flashbacks...not for a while I think. I'll just have to see where the story takes me. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 23 - Aria**

* * *

"What the hell is he doing here...do you think he followed me?" Aria sunk down further on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chin. She buried her head in her knees. "Oh god...what if he finds me?"

Al knelt down in front of her. "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe. There's no way I'll let him take you back." Al smiled.

"That's so sweet of you." She put a hand on his cheek.

Al's face turned bright red and he laughed a little. "Well..."

"You two should hide till he goes away." Phylis stated. "Here." She crossed the room and pushed away a shelf to reveal a hidden door.

Al was shocked. "A secret door? What for?"

Phylis smiled. "Not really much of a secret, I just didn't have anywhere else to put this shelf. It's only the storage room in the back. You two can sit here till it's safe." She jiggled the knob and then the door slid open. "Go on."

"Good idea." Aria took Al's outstretched hand and stood up. And with stealth they sunk into the little dark room. It was filled with shelves and shelves of seeds. Even a few large bags of grass seeds were piled on the floor, three on top of one another. Al sat on one of the stacks, and right across form him, Aria sat; Phylis closed the door and replaced the shelf. They could still see the light from underneath the door, so the room was illuminated somewhat.

"I wonder if there's a light in here?" Al stood up and reached around for a drawstring.

"No, probably not." Aria spoke quietly. "Seeds are attracted to light, it might cause some of them to activate and grow, thus, ruining them..."

Al was surprised, she really knew her stuff. "I guess that's why it's so dry in here too huh?"

"Yeah..." Aria smiled and then it quickly faded. "You don't think he'll think to look for me in this town do you?" She sat facing the door, looking at the light shining underneath. Waiting to see if footsteps would come up to the door.

"I don't think so...why would he?" Al comforted her.

Just then they could both hear the door to the shop open, the bells rung loudly, it was kind of rough too. "Phylis!" A harsh sounding voice rang out from through the door.

Aria turned to face Al and the adjacent wall. She gasped. "That's him...he's in the store."

Al placed his hands on hers that were sitting atop her knees. "Shh...just keep quiet, Mrs. Mullins won't say a word. I've known her since I was little, she a good person." Al looked at his hands as he rubbed his thumb over top of Aria's hand. They were so soft.

* * *

"Dear Phylis. I have something I need to ask of you." Felix tapped his boot on the rickety floor boards.

Phylis smiled and kept up a strong front. "What might that be?" She said without a hitch.

Felix gritted his teeth, the old lady's lack of intimidation bothered him to know end. He was use to people cowering before him and backing down. "I'm looking for someone. She's young, about this tall." He held his hand slightly below his shoulder, Aria was indeed rather short. "Deep green eyes and extremely long red hair, though it might be dark brown...you wouldn't happen to have seen anyone like that would you? One of the people I know said they saw her come in here earlier today." He firmly placed his hands on the counter.

Phylis played it up a little and went deep in thought. "Hmmm...no, I'm afraid not. My old mind can't keep up with everyone that comes into the store throughout the day." She lied.

Felix snickered to himself. "I see...let me give you this." He took a step back and spread his arms out at his sides. "I'm feeling generous." He began. "If you tell me what you know, I'll call off the debt on this store." He smiled a wicked smile. "It'll all be yours.

Old lady Phylis was shocked and went silent. She thought about the proposition for a moment and then lowered her head. "I'm sorry sir, I haven't seen a thing."

Felix gritted his teeth hard. His outstretched arms fell to his sides and he sighed. "So be it you old bat, but if I find out you were lying, I'll make your life a living hell." He pointed a finger straight at her. "And don't for one second think I'm joking." With that said he turned and left tout the door, slamming it in the process. Those little happy bells couldn't take the shot and they fell to the floor, never to be rung again.

Phylis stood up and walked over to the bells and picked them up and on the way back to the counter, she smiled. "He's left the store, but he and his friends are still outside. I'll tell you when they've gone." Phylis spoke through the door.

"Thanks..." Al's voice sounded though the door. "...Uh, Mrs. Mullins?" Al spoke again.

"Yes dear?" She asked, her sweet old lady voice trying to keep quiet.

"How come you hesitated when he asked if you seen us?" Al's voice seemed a little hurt.

"Oh that." She chuckled slightly. "I was thinking if I should have told him you two said you were heading up to Drachma to get away from him. But I figured that lie might come back on me." She laid the bell on the counter. "I wouldn't sell you and your girlfriend out that easily. You two just keep quiet in there."

"Thank you Mrs Mullins." Aria's voice sounded through.

"Think nothing of it." Phylis smiled.

* * *

"See, I told you she was good." Al spoke softly as to not let anyone hear that they were in there.

"I didn't doubt it...but I was a little worried he'd ask to search the shop." She smiled at Al. "Thank you again. I know I've said that so much since I got here, but I really can't think you and your family enough for helping me...where I'm from someone would have turned me in already for the money."

"Money? He's offering a reward?" Al was once more surprised.

Aria shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't put it past him. He's a spoiled brat in a man's body and on top of that, he's got 'daddy's' money to play with, he's practically unstoppable with all his connections too. I know what I'm dealing with, I know it's best to lay low...I hope you don't think I'm a coward for doing so...you don't do you?" She sounded a little helpless.

Al didn't think she was being a coward, but still she seemed a little scared, but from what he'd been seeing and hearing, it was justified. "No...not at all." He then swallowed a lump in his throat, there had been a question burning in the back of his mind for a while. Al didn't want to ask it because he was afraid of the answer. Though he needed to know, he had to ask. "Aria...I need to ask you something...it's kind of personal..."

Aria was confused but then she snickered. "If it's about the tattoo, I already told you I'll show you someday."

Al shook his head. "No...not that...is about your relationship with him..."

Aria lowered her gaze to meet his, Al had been staring at the floor the whole time he spoke. "Go ahead and ask...it's ok."

Al hesitated. "Was he..." It was a difficult question to get out, but he needed to know. "Was he abusive to you?"

Aria seemed as though she had been bitten by his question. "..." I was indeed a hard question to ask, but an even more difficult one to answer. "You won't beat him if I say yes will you?" Aria smirked a little.

"No promises." Al spoke in a straight tone.

"Hm...yeah, he was...he almost broke my arm once too." Aria seemed to be doing ok, but still that notion of fear was still there.

Another question came to Al's mind, this time, he was afraid of the answer. Really afraid of that answer. "Did he...ever try to take advantage of you?"

Aria nodded. "He tired, but I got away...a couple times." There were a few moments of silence between the two of them, the air, as dry as it was, seemed really thick and heavy. Aria then slid across the small gap on the floor and put her arms around Al's waist and hugged him tight.

"Aria?" Al looked down at her, she never seemed to lose face till just then. "What's wrong?" He rubbed her shoulders. Then he herd it, it was only slight and rather quiet, but he knew he heard it. A small sniffle of someone crying. Al never hated anyone up until that moment, but if he ever saw this husband of hers up close, there was no telling what he would do.

She sat up and wiped her cheeks quickly. "I'm sorry, I just don't like people seeing me cry."

"It's ok..." He slid down to the floor next to her and wrapped his arms around her again. "You know that if I ever meet him..."

Aria nodded and returned the gesture by encircling him with her arms, allowing her hands to travel up his back. "Just don't do anything that would get you thrown in jail...ok?"

Al nodded and squeezed her tight. Aria snuggled him close and it made her feel better, it even made her feel safe just being next to him. Alphonse had done so much for her, she felt entirely in his debt.

She gave him a slight nudge away, just enough so that there was a bit of distance between them. "No one's going to know..."

"Going to know what?" He was confused up until he felt a pair of warm lips on his own. He shut his eyes and fell into the deep kiss. His hands traveled along her face and neck. These few moments were ones to be treasured, for if they were to get caught, they would both probably end up behind bars.

Al felt Aria tug him back, she leaned with it and he put his entire weight on top of her. He kissed her passionately, his tongue pressed against her in a loving way. He smirked through the kiss and his hands traveled downward; over her chest, down to her hip and then back up again to her face.

Aria, without breaking the kiss, allowed her hands to travel down to the hem of his shirt. She rubbed the lower part of his bare back with both hands, he skin was surprisingly soft.

A minute or so passed and before they could go any further, witch was probably for the best, the door to the little room opened and shed blinding light on the two young teens. "Al? What are you doing?" Ed's voice rang out in an accusing manner.

"AH!" They both yelled then jumped back to opposite sides of the back of the room.

"I, we...it wasn't uh..." Al struggled with words.

"We fell!" Aria blurted out, a stupid smile on her face, as she approached Ed. "Thanks for shedding some light on it." She gave him a firm pat on the shoulder as she walked by. "You're a great big brother for helping him like that Ed." She continued to walk by. "Oh look Felix is gone, let's go! Bye Mrs. Mullins, thanks again!" With that all said and done she left the store.

Ed and Al blinked as watched in amazement. She was pretty good at getting out of embarrassing situations rather quickly. Ed turned to Al and noticed something; he merely shook his head. "Must have been one hell of a fall." He walked up to Al with the big bag of seeds in his hand. "You might want to cover that." He passed the seeds off to Al, knocking him in the belt with them in the process.

"Huh?" Al then noticed what his brother had meant by 'that'. Al blushed and carried the seeds low to cover the front of his pants. "Thanks brother..." Al was beet red from head to toe, apparently he had gotten a little more excited than he should have.

"See ya' Mrs. Mullins!" Ed said as he walked for the exit. "Thanks again."

"It was no trouble at all. Come see me again boys." She smiled as they walked by. Al laughed a little and just waved with his free hand.

* * *

"What were you two doing in there?" Ed laughed. "You 'fell'...I'm not stupid." Ed scoffed at his younger brother.

"We were...I was..." Al gathered up his thoughts and took a deep breath. "I'll tell you what we were doing if you say what you and Winry were doing last night."

Ed blushed. "Never mind then." He quickly dropped the argument. Ed had finished checking with the police and decided to see what Al was doing. Do his dismay, not a hell of a lot; at least nothing useful in finding the escape lunatic.

Deciding that it was best to search together, they decided to stop for coffee. It was still early in the morning, only half past eleven and Ed was finding it hard to keep awake, so coffee as the best way to keep him up.

Finding this guy was going to be tough, in a city as big as the one they were in, it was going to be exceptionally difficult. He could be anywhere. And due to the depression that hit about ten years ago, there were a lot of abandon buildings, so they would have a lot of ground to cover. Ed thought about it as he awaited his coffee to show up, Aria was waiting by the counter getting their order, so he and Al were free to talk.

"So..." Al began. "What exactly did you do when you went upstairs last night?" He was leaning over the table somewhat to keep his voice in a hush.

Ed's face once again turned red. "Why do you want to know?"

"Why not?" Al quickly retorted.

"...I'll tell you when you're older." Ed turned his head off to the side. He was never any good talking about 'sex things', especially not with his little brother.

"That's not fair! You're only a year older than me!" Al retorted.

"Year and a half. Huh?" He looked over at Aria doing her best to not spill the three cups of coffee.

"Don't spill, don't spill, don't spill..." She chanted as she walked back to the table. Aria's klutz attacks were now few and far between since she had matured, but this situation looked to her as thought it was lining up to be a disaster. It was bad enough she felt awkward around Ed right then. '_Really though, it's so awkward, his brother just had me pinned down on a bag of grass seeds._' She thought as she balanced her way to the table. '_They're probably talking about too...no big deal, it's not like he wouldn't have found out eventually anyway...right...that right._' She comforted herself.

"Careful." Ed watched her approach the table and slowly place the tray down on the table.

"I've got it." She sat down at the table next to Al and took her cup of tea and blew on it's steam.

"About Felix..." Al began. "How old is he?"

Aria thought about it. "He does look kind of old, but he's only twenty-six. He drinks a lot and I think he does opium, so he looks considerably older than what he should." She sipped her tea. "Ow." She said quietly, the tea was still quiet hot and it nipped at her lips somewhat.

"Twenty-six?" Al sounded disgusted. "He's more than twice your age." He pointed out.

"AH!" She sipped the tea and burnt her lips more, Al's statement gave her a bit of a start. "Twice my...how old do you think I am?" She seemed query.

Al thought for a second. "I'm not sure...about twelve, thirteen-ish."

Aria laid her head on the table. "Damn..."

"Am I wrong?" Al seemed slightly scared, guessing at a girls age had a good possibility of getting them mad. He was hoping she wasn't upset.

"Kind of..." She looked up, comedic tears in her eyes. "I'm sixteen. Why does everyone think I'm so young? I know I'm kind of flat and I'm kind of small, but that doesn't mean I'm young!' She laid her head back down.

Ed nodded. "I know exactly how you feel -except for that flat part- but I agree with you. Height shouldn't determine your age." He proceed to fold his arms in a smug way.

Aria looked up at him and smiled. "At least I'm not alone."

* * *

They finished their drinks without further incident. They needed to call a cab to get to the dock's to see if they could find their father, so Aria ran off back into the café to use the phone. 'Hey Al." Ed began.

"Yeah?" Al smiled as he looked at his older brother.

Ed got close and grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, a little rough, but still playfully. "So help me Al...if you get rid of her, I will not hesitate to beat you to within an inch of your life...you got it?" Al couldn't help but smile, even thought Ed was being rather scary about it, it was good to see that he approved of Aria.

"No problem brother, I didn't plan on it. Why the aggression though?" Al questioned.

Ed looked from side to side and then back to Al, who was slightly nervous. "She's cute, she's nice, she's the same age as me...and significantly shorter..." Ed smirked. "I doubt you'll find anyone else who'll fit your's and my standards." He released his brother and fixed his shirt for him.

"I guess not." Al smiled wide, she was quite a catch.

* * *

And there you go...I was lying! (laughs evilly) I would never end it like that, that's just cruel. There'll be plenty of cute romance stuff and maybe another lemon soon enough. Let me give you something to think about...Why is Ed acting so distant?

Huh? Think about it. ;D

Another chapter polished and posted. :D I was quite happy with the way this one turned out. It was cute, romantic and kind of funny. It had all the stuff I love to wrote about in it.  
It's safe to say, this chapter made me smile!

I hope you thought the same thing!

Don't forget, a little review will go a long way! (Hundreds of people read, but 4-5 review...what's up with that?)  
**VVVV**


	24. Chapter 24 Let It Go

BAD NEWS! ...I accidently went into my registry...and deleted my spell checker...sorry...so until I get it up and running, this is going to be all gross and no spell checked...sorry...again. ;-;'

* * *

**Chapter 24 - Let it go**

* * *

"Good morning everyone!" Havoc announced in a loud proud tone as he entered Mustang's office, his arms extended above his head and a mile wide grin on his face. "Isn't it a great morning?"

Everyone looked at him and raised an eyebrow, except for Breda who knew exactly what the good mood was a result of. Falman stood up and straightened his papers he had been working on since nine. "Ten o'clock and you're already in such a good mood. Usually we don't see this side of you till Friday around seven...that's days away and--"

Breda raised a hand to Vato to stop the talking textbook routine. "He got laid last night."

"Oh really?" Falman seemed shocked.

"And twice this morning." Now everyone was shocked. He had such a wide, happy smile; it was going from ear to ear. "She's a frisky little one. I can tell this is going somewhere for sure." He rubbed his chin as he thought about all the posibilities.

"Well at least you're in a good relationship, one that will last long." Falman smiled, he too had found a special someone recently, it took all the courage to ask her but he finally gathered the courage to ask Sheska to the bonfire last Saturday.

"Yup!" Havoc rested his hands behind his head and stretched. "On top of all that, I haven't had a cigarette since yesterday."

The group brightened their expressions. Kain piped up. "So I take it you're going to quit for good."

Havoc nodded. "Yeah, if we plan to have kids someday I won't be able to smoke around her. But that'll be a few years down the road, so I'm just giving myself a little lead way."

Breda gasped. "Kids? You guys are thinking of having kids?"

Havoc nodded. "We were talking about it, she really wants to settle down someday and have a family. I've always liked kids, I wouldn't mind a couple of my own."

Breda shook his head. "It's shocking enough to find out Fuery had a son, but you too."

Fuery jumped up and held out a little picture of Ravi. "Isn't he sweet."

Breda pushed and held him back. "Hughes was more than enough."

"I think kids would be fine, provided you two were married." Vato carefully pointed out. It was true the kids would sure be fun, but he feared the worst if they didn't get married.

"Yeah, I know." He placed his fists on his hips as he immitated Alex's voice. "'It's a family tradition for the Armstrong women to be married before having relations with the opposite sex in such a manner"." He smiled again. "Cathrine didn't seem to mind though. I guess some traditions weren't meant to be kept." They had talked about it almost all morning. What they would name the kids, who the might look like, the raising and discipline. Havoc didn't mind talking about things like that, he just figured that the 'mommy' instinct kicked in for her because she was with him. He took it all in stride.

"Marriage is a big deal Havoc, are you sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?" Breda was a little skeptical.

Jean nodded. "You bet. This way I'll be able to keep an eye on just my girl and not have to worry about Roy moving in on her...speaking of witch, where is he?" He looked around the office, Mustang was nowhere to be seen.

"He's got the day off, and so does Hawkeye." Fuery smiled as he sat down at Roy's desk. "That's why we're actually getting something done, and not being rushed to do it." Roy was lazy and Hawkeye was a workaholic, one without the other was kind of painful, but neither was just as good as both.

"I wonder what he's doing on his day off...probably flirting at the bar." Havoc snickered. Everyone nodded. Roy was always a womanizer, it wouldn't shock even one of them if he came to work the next day, hungover, not knowing how he got home the previous night and his wallet missing. Roy was clumisy like that. And it wasn't like it didn't happen before.

"One thousand cenz says he's sick tomorrow." Breda held up the money. Falman and Havoc gathered around to place their bets. Gambeling in the workplace was illegal, but so long as they kept it quiet, it went unnoticed. It also kept them remotly sane. "What's wrong Fuery? Ya' scared to bet?"

Fuery shook his head. "Nah, I'm heading to Lior and I need some spending money to get there." He was only going to visit for a week, but he still needed to cover living expenses.

"You're not going for good huh?" Breda asked, a little sadness in his voice.

Kain shook his head. "I can't, they didn't approve of me transfering. So they gave me a week's vacation. I'm not sure if it's paid vacation yet, but I'll know by the end of next week."

They smiled at him and then Havoc piped up. "That's great, getting to see your son will do him and Rose a world of good." Havoc smiled.

* * *

"Sooo." Aria began. "I notice you didn't correct Mrs. Mullins when she called me your girlfriend." She grinned and looked at him off to the side. The three of them had headed off to the dock and to their surprise, Hohenheim was no where to be found. They all looked for an hour but nothing.Al blushed as he walked beside her. He remembered that Phylis in fact did refer to Aria as his girlfriend, but he didn't see it necessary to say anything. "Well..." 

"Well, what?" She teased, a sly smile on her face.

"Well...I didn't correct her because...I was hoping...we...After Felix was out of the picture that is...we could..." He trailed off.

She took hold of his hand hand held it tightly in her own. "That's sweet Al..." She smiled at him and he returned the gesture. They walked down the dock hand in hand until Aria stopped and let go. Al seemed a little hurt. "I'm sorry...I forgot...I can't."

Al's smiled faded for a moment and then it lit right back up. "No worries, I'll make it up to you!" He clenched and held his fists up in an egear way. "I'll take you for a long walk right down by the river back in Resembool." His eyes were filled with anticipation. "You'll love it."

Aria nodded and smiled. "That's really romantic Al."

He blushed. "It is, isn't it?" He rubbed the back of his head. 'Why in the world did that come to mind?' He never really looked at himself as a 'romantic' type, but if the things he liked to do seemed romantic to her, he figured the best bet would be to go with the flow.

"Come on Al." She waved him on. "I want to go see the tall ship." She pointed to the tallest one sitting at the very end of the harbour.

"Alight." They walked side by side, not touching at all, but still enjoying their time together none the less.

* * *

"Where in the hell could he be." Ed walked around the dock looking form side to side, trying to spot of a glimpse of his father, but to no avail. "Dammit old man...where are you." Ed cussed under his breath. He walked passed another cafe sitting along the side of the dock, maybe his father was sitting in there. But nothing, again.

"Gah..." Ed was beginning to become frustrated, he needed to get home, he really needed to drop something off, it was beginning to burn a hole in his pocket. He clasped his left hand around the little box in his pocket and then let it go again. "Where could he be?" Ed sped up his walking, he passed a post office, a small inn, a bar, a nice seafood resturant. He then stopped.

"...wait a sec." Ed backed up about fifteen feet and peered in the doors of the bar. Sure enough, there was Hohenheim, sitting with his back up against the bar, with a woman on his side, enjoying a drink with him. "YOU OLD BASTARD!" With that Ed stormed into the bar, fists and teeth clenched, ready to kill.

"Hey there little man." A man's sounded, he looked like he could have been a bouncer. "You're to young to be in here."

Ed turned a death glare on him and quickly swung his right automail fist straight at the crusty old man's face, knocking him down. Ed proceeded to stomp on the guy. "Who are you calling so small he'd drown in a pint of beer! I'll be allowed to drink here in a year in a half you muscle bound dumbass!" Ed fumed but then upon realizing he had captured the attention of the entire bar, he composed himself and straightened his coat.

Hohenheim looked at his son from across the bar, rather disamused. The women turned to him. "I take it that's your son."

Hohenheim put his drink down on the bar and nodded. "Yeah...how could you tell?"

She smiled at him. "He has the same temperment as you do." She laughed.

Hohenheim smiled. "I'd better go." She planted a kiss on his cheek as he stood up and began to approach his son who was closing in fast. It was amusing watching him wrestle through the crowd of superiorly taller men.

"See you later Von." She waved at him and went on her way.

"You son of a bitch!" Ed finally made his way to the older man, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him down till his father's face was on level with his own. "You're suppose to be working!" Ed pulled him along, making him slouch a foot lower than his full standing height.

"Edward, calm down." Hohenheim struggled slightly as Ed pulled him right out of the bar.

Ed turned and faced his father. "And just what the hell do you think you were doing in there? We're suppose to be looking for someone!" Ed paused and looked at the dazed look on his father's face. "...you're not drunk are you?" Ed squinted his eyes.

Hohenheim shook his head. "If I could get drunk from half a drink, the world would be a better place."

Ed scowled. "Whatever..." He averted his gaze and looked off into the distance.

Hohenheim fixed his collar and coughed a little. "That's quite the grip you have there Ed, have you always been that strong?"

He shrugged at his dad's question. "I don't know, Winry makes the best automail...she's always upgrading it for me."

Hoehenheim shook his head. "You had me with your left hand."

Ed thought about it; he was right. "..." He huffed and stuffed his hands back in his pockets, once more checking on the little box that he had with him. "Let's go." Ed seemed a little detached from his words as he turned to walk.

The sun was hot and blazing, it probably was the hottest part of the day. Hohenheim took off his long coat and draped it over his shoulder, looking down at his son made him feel kind of warm just seeing him there with the coat on. "Why not take your coat off, it's too hot to be wearing something so heavy."

Ed blushed and then went quickly back to normal. "No...I'm fine."

They walked a little further and Hohenheim couldn't help but notice the depressed look on Ed's face. "Listen, if I thought stopping for a drink would have bother you this much I--" He began but got cut off.

"It's not that...you're trying to replace her!" Ed's fists clenched again. Hohenheim was a little shocked that he came out and said it like that, he was going to try and get it out of him the hard way.

His smiled faded as he put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Listen Ed, I know it seems like that's what I'm doing is cruel, but you have to understand, I really don't think I could stand being alone for the rest of my life. When you're older, you'll get it."

"Older?" Ed scoffed. "I think I'm old enough to understand that you're trying to replace the best thing that ever happened to you because you screwed it up big time."

Hohenheim sighed. "No one could replace your mother Ed...substitute maybe, though it would never be the same...but like I said, you're too young to understand what I'm getting at. I have needs too you know. It's kind of lonely..." He folded his arms, clenching his coat tighter.

Ed stopped and turned around. "What in the world are you talking about, you have your family here with you! You shouldn't need anyone else!"

Hohenheim stared at his son, he couldn't possibly be that dense. "You can't be serious...I guess you'll find out someday...hopefully."

Edward gave him an odd glance. "What do you mean by that?"

He couldn't help but stare. "Are completely lost with this?"

Ed thought. "I sure hope not. I think..." He confused himself.

Hohenheim sighed, talking with young people wasn't one of his strong suits, well, at least not Ed. "Well...you see, when I say lonely I mean--"

Ed held up a hand. "I know what you're getting at, I just enjoy making it difficult for you..." He sighed and continued to walk. "I suppose I can't make you be alone like that for the rest of your life." Ed lowered his gaze, though he meant what he said, he still couldn't help but feel a little bad about allowing his father to replace his mother like that.

"Could you at least not go with a bar fly?" Ed said, a hint of disgust in his voice. Hohenheim laughed. "What? I think it's a reasonable request." If he was going to go with someone, Ed would have prefered it not to be some random girl from the bar.

"No, she's not like that. I've known her for quite a while now." Ed listened on carefully. "She was married once too, her husband was lost at sea during an invasion on their ship. Since then she's taken charge of his ship, the 'Alcalda'. It's the big one at the end of the dock. It's a very successful fishing and delivery vessel." He was relieved somewhat.

"At least she's not some dumb broad. Looks are one thing, but without brains, it's all wasted." Ed continued walking, the crowd of people began to get thicker, he had to weave a little bit.

"So you think she's cute then..." Hohenheim smiled.

Ed blushed a little. "...Yea...well, I mean, for an older woman...she's ok I guess."

"Good." He smiled that wide Elric smile that he had handed down to both his sons. "Then you wouldn't mind taking a little cruise on Wednesday then?"

"Cruise? Don't we have work to do?" Ed looked at his father over his shoulder.

"Yeah, for now, but if we can't come up with anything before Tuesday, then they're sending in the special forces to do a sweep of the overlaying area. But I'm sure we'll find something." He smiled as they continued walking.

Ed couldn't help but notice his father's mood elevate the more and more they talked. Though that initial anger was there, he could feel himself become somewhat attached to his father. It was because of him that Al was back, so that gave him some credibility. Ed let it go, for once in his life, he dicided just to let things be. There was no longer a reason to hold a grudge.

* * *

"Look! There's a fish!" Aria leaned over the side of the boat, making Al quite nervous. He held on to her tightly around her waist.

"You're going to fall over." Al lead her back down to the floor of the ship.

"Sorry, I got carried away...hey!" She walked forward to the large pillar standing in the middle of the ship. "Can we go up there?" She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight as she peered up at the crow's nest.

Al looked up as well at the rather tall protrusion in the ship. "I don't think we should...it's kind of high up."

She tugged him by the arm over to the rope lattace ladder that connected to the top from the side of the ship. "Naah, it'll be fun. Come on." And thus, she began her trek up the ladder.

"Uh...I guess it would be pretty fun." He smiled and headed up the ladder right behind Aria. The further up they went, the wind got cooler and, with no buildings or trees in the way, it blew more freely.

Aria's hair was trying to engulf her. "Ah...I can see so far!" She allowed one of her hands to travel to her forehead to shield her eyes again. "How about you Al? Do you have a good view?"

Al looked straight up at her and blushed. The wind caught the hem of her skirt and gave him a good view right up it. "Yeah! Great view!" He couldn't help but have a misgevious smile on his face. "It's very pink! I mean perfect! Yeah...perfect." He snickered to himself.

Only a few more minutes passed and they were sitting up in the crow's nest chatting away. "It reminds me a lot of Lush..."

Al smiled. "Yeah, your home town was really nice too. Not a whole lot of water, but still just as many trees, if not more." The wind blew once again causing Aria's unbound hair to fly over the edge and flow in the breeze. He watched her fuss with her bangs, trying to get them to go in the right direction. It seemed as though they just didn't want to obey. "Aria..." He began.

"Hn? Yeah?" She grabbed all her hair and slung it all over her back, with little success of getting it out of her face.

Al's expression darkened. "What if he comes for you? I mean, what if he finds us and takes you away?"

Aria shrugged and then smiled. "Let's not worry about that right now." She rested her head against his shoulder as they both leaned over the edge to enjoy the view better. "Let's just enjoy the time we have now."

He stood there, hunched over the edge of the lookout, Aria resting quietly on his shoulder. He was happy with her, why anyone would want to treat her badly was beyond him. He mulled it over and over in his mind. Normally he didn't worry, but this Felix guy seemed a bit on the crazy side, a little too far for his liking anyway.

Instead of dragging it out, he let it go and just enjoyed the time he had with this special girl. Pausing in thought for a moment, he couldn't help but mention one last thing. "Um...Aria...can I give you some advice?"

"Sure..." She was slightly confused, but still listened intently.

"Next time you want to go climbing...you might want to try wearing pants." He said with a slight stifled laugh in his voice.

Aria blushed a deep red. "Pants? ...You mean you saw...how much did you see?" She grew anxious.

"They're pink." He couldn't help but snicker. "I'm sorry, but it was right there." Aria sunk down into the crow's nest with embarassment.

* * *

HEY! You guys want to know a great way to completely screw over someone's computer? Go into (Start), click (run) then type in (regedit) (Without the brackets though). Go into the directory that says HKEY CLASSES ROOT and then just delete things at random! Trust me, this is how I got my spell checker to stop working. And, from working with computers, I know that all the basic functions of your computer reside in that same area... SO! If you want to total one of your X's computers, just do that. (I'm not saying do it, but if someone tells you it's a good idea, just tell them to piss off.)

I'm not proud of it...but I have spyware on my computer! ;-; It just won't go away, so I have to make a backup of EVERYTHING on DVD disk and burn it and it's just going to be terrible...oh well, so long as I can save my sims again, all shall be well:)

I hope you liked the chapter, remember, this is just a building chapter, I'll be making it go somewhere soon. Hehe, more cute fluffy things coming your way!

Review please!  
**VVVV**


	25. Chapter 25 Shotgun!

Enjoy this chapter! It's important! ...poorly written, but still important none the less:)

* * *

**Chapter 25 - Shotgun!**

* * *

Felix seemed to disappear for the raminder of the day and on top of that, they had picked up on a tip about the escaped lunitic that they had been trailing. Apparently an old thieves camp in the city's neighbouring forest was being rebuilt and there had been reports of people heading in and out of the general area for the last few days. The man with the long hair was one of them.

Satisfied with how things went, everyone decided to head home; it was only four in the afternoon but, having suficent information to report back about, calling it a day seemed like a good idea.

"That's 3,000 Cenz that we've spent on cabs all day...I'm going to be broke if this keeps up." Ed stuffed his wallet into his back pocket. It was 1,200 Cenz to get back and forth from the Rockbell's home and then they spent another 700 Cenz getting to the dock.

Al smiled. "Well it's not like we were wasting it." He looked at his father over in the phone booth. "Hey, brother..." He poked him in the shoulder. "Dad seems to be in a good mood...did something happen?"

Ed shrugged. "Not that I know of." Truth be told, it was because he wasn't giving him the cold shoulder, and the new lady friend possibly.

"There." Hohenheim exited the booth and closed the door. "The cab should be here shortly." He looked at his two sons and Aria. Ed and Al had grown up considerably since he had last seen them and this new girl was quite nice, though she did seem to look kind of young.

"Aww, one of the tulip bulbs is sprouting." She smiled at the little nub sticking out of the top. "I'll have to put these in the freezer when we get back. Do you think they'll have room?"

Al nodded. "Yeah. Pinako has a big deep freeze in the bacement, I'll show you when we get home."

The older man smiled at the youger ones. Despite his past, this was the last life he would live, it was best to enjoy what he had while he still had the chance. This new lady friend, Gertrude, was also a good thing to look forward to. He smiled happily as he turned his eldest son, Edward. Examining the look on his face, it seemed as though Ed had something he was thinking about. "Ed?" The young blond turned his attention to his father. "What's on your mind?"

Ed blushed a little and turned his gaze back to down to the road, as to avoid his father from noticing the enevitable red cheeks he had. "Nothing in paticular..." Ed placed his hands in his pockets, yet again, to check on the little box he consealed.

"You sure?" He double checked. Ed nodded. "Alright."

"Hey, I think that's our ride." Aria stood up and pointed to the vehicle coming down the road.

"Shotgun!" Ed said allowed.

Hohenheim smiled. "Damn..." He had missed it.

Ed sighed in relief, fearing if he were to sit next to one of them, they might question what he was carrying in his jacket. He watched the car pull up alongside of the road and park for them. Ed quickly stepped around the front seat and hopped in. Hohenheim got in behind the driver and Al and Aria walked around the other side of the car.

Being the gentleman he was, Al let Aria get in first, she smiled and thanked him. Al then got in, closing the door behind him. As the car began to pull away the driver didn't notice the man quickly approaching the vehicle from behind on foot. "Hey!" He yelled, but to no avail, they didn't hear him.

Felix fumed as the taxi, with Aria inside, pulled away. "That little bitch!" He yelled in frustration. He had heard multiple reports form aquaintences around town that they had seen her, but now he knew for sure that she was here. He frantically looked around for a vacent cab he could take to follow them, but there was nothing.

"Something wrong Mr. Crowely?" A voice sounded from behind him, it was a little man's voice, kind of raspy and strange sounding. He was wearing a burlap cloak that covered his entire body and he was leading a white horse down the street by it's reigns.

"Yes!" He declared. "My wife took off on me! She's in that cab." He pointed off in the distance.

"Mr. Crowley...won't you ride my white horse?" He led the steed in front of him. The animal whinnied a little as it looked at Felix.

"...?" He didn't think that the little cloaked man posed any symbolic meaning, but this was truly a gift from above. The claoked man nodded and smiled beneath the shade of his hood. Felix reached in his pocket, pulled out a few bills and then threw them to the ground. "For the trouble." He spoke as he mounted the horse and sped off after the quickly fading cab.

The little man smirked even further. "No trouble at all..." He picked up the bills off the ground and crumpled them in his hand. He gave a slight chuckel and began to walk off in the direction he came in. Extending his arm, he threw the bills in a nearby grabage can and left them there.

* * *

"So...what kind of things are you growing in this garden?" Hohenheim asked as Aria was poking through her bag.

She shuffeled though a few of the packages. "Potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, eggplant, peppers, a couple different kinds of squash...just a few other things, nothing all too special."

Aria placed them in the bag again and sat back on the soft leather bound cushions. She was enjoying the ride, it wasn't eveyday that she got to travel in a car. It was nice. She allowed her right hand to fall to her side on the seat and descreetly brushed Al's hand.

He noticed and smiled, not moving his view from out the front window, then, taking her hand, he gave it a little squeeze.

Ed tapped his foot impatienly on the floor of the car, he could finally see the Rockbell's home off in the distance. That little packae he was carrying felt like a ticking time bomb. Soon he would be home and there would be nothing to worry about. He folded his arms and sat right back in the seat and looked around. His eyes traveled up to the rear view mirror, when he caught something closing in fast on the car. Without hesitation he spoke to the driver. "Go faster."

"What?!" The driver was confused.

"Floor it!" Ed threw another 2000 cenz at the cab driver.

"Uh?" With that sitting in his lap, he pressed the petal almost all the way down to the floor. The engine whirred and the car steadily increased it's speed.

"Brother? What in the world--" Al protested but his sentence was stopped short with Ed hooking his thumb over the seat.

He turned his head to the side to give himself a view out the back window. "Does that guy look familiar?"

Sure enough the three in the back turned around to see none other than Felix, chasing the cab whilst riding on a white horse. "How did he find me?" Aria sunk down in her seat.

"Don't worry, we're almost home." Hohenheim turned forward in his seat.

Al clenched his teeth tightly, not only with anticipation as to wether or not they would make it in time, but also with a great deal of anger. How could this man be emotionally attached to someone who hated him and didn't want him around? Maybe Aria was right, he was just a spoiled child wanting everything. Aria was a beautiful girl, it was no wonder he wanted to keep her; braging rights and what not. He just hoped that they made it to the house on time.

Quickly thanking the cabby, they came up to the house with plenty of time to spare. The four of them headed up the stairs and in the front door. "That was just a little too close for comfort." Aria heaved a sigh. "Maybe I should have just gone back with him...this is only going to mean trouble for your guys now."

Hohenheim shook his head. "Don't worry, he may be rich, but he's not still not allowed to tresspass." Aria nodded. "Let's just not worry about it, come on." He motioned for people to go in the kitchen.

Without anymore words, they all headed in the kitchen to find Pinako preping a roast for supper later on. "What's with all the comotion?" She wasn't angry, just concerned.

"Felix is chasing me...sorry to be trouble." She lowered her head. She had brought a burden on the ones who were trying to help her, all she could hope and pray for was that nothing bad would happen to any of them. She knew how Felix could get at times.

"Well we're not open right now, so if he comes in the house I won't be responsible for what happens to him." Pinako smiled that ever so sweet, yet remotly evil at times, old lady smile.

Al inadvertantly cracked his knuckels and then he stopped to think. "Did we lock the door?" No sooner had he said that when the sound of the front door opening sounded in the kitchen.

"Eee!" Aria jumped behind Hohenheim. "Hide me."

Hohenheim sheilded the girl. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Just as Felix rounded the corner, Pinako went and quickly searched for something in the broom closet. "There you are!" He exclaimed as he approached her. "You're coming back with me!" He spoke to her as if no one else was in the room, harsh and cruel; it was as if none of them mattered to him, just getting his pide and joy back was all that was on his mind. He reached out a hand out to grab her wrist but was stopped short by Hohenheim smacking his hand out of the way.

Aria was still hiding behind him, being the tallest one in the room, she felt a lot safer with him there. "And just who do you think you are?!" Hohenheim raised his voice. Ed and Al could only watch on from the sidelines.

"Move out of my way old man!" Felix tried to stand up to him.

"Old?" Hohenheim wound up his fist and clocked Felix right in the forehead, knocking him backwards. Hohenheim rubbed his fist, a rather angry look on his face.

Felix tried to regain his composure and stand up, only to open his eyes and see a little old lady with a shotgun aimed directly at his head. "I'd rethink comeing here again...now get!" Pinako cocked the gun.

For a few seconds all he could do was stare in disbelief. Without a second thought, he looked at Aria, a deep scowel on his face. "Don't think this is going to end." That being said, he slowly stood up and headed for the door he came in.

Pinako followed him right to the door, everyone watched on with anticipation. After he was off the stairs, she rested the butt of the rifel on the deck and looked down at Den who was sleeping quietly. "Den...get up." The dog looked at her, a cute puppy dog look in his eyes. "Get him!" And she motioned towards Felix. With great haste, the dog stood up and took off after the intruder.

* * *

"So he took it then?" A rather bulky man said as the short cloaked man came back into the camp. He was not accpomanied by his horse, so it was obvious he succeeded in talking to Felix.

"Yes..." The short man said, removing his hood. "We'll have him soon enough. Mark my words, the uprising will take place sooner than we'd hoped." The cloaked man smiled wide with a grin full of yellow teeth. "It will soon be our time to rid this world of the unecessary vermin!" He raised his hands in the air. "It shall be so!" His eyes were wild and full of excitment; his unkempt hair was tied back in a loose pony tail that hung a little below his neck and shook as he laughed. His voice echoed through the dark room and resonated slightly outside the hovel.

The taller man nodded. "Thank you sir...Would you like me to inform the others?"

The litte man smiled. "Of course. My children deserve to know this...tell them that he has accepted the offer as in my preminition." The man placed his hands up to his temples and rubbed them roughly as he winced in pain.

"Sir!" The taller one quickly jumped to his aide.

He held a hand up, making the bigger man stopped in his tracks. "It is nothing...I must meditate...you can deliver the news without me." With that said, he slid the hood back up over his head and headed for the exit.

"Thank you, I will do it with great honor." He bowed, turned and then walked to go see the other followers.

* * *

"Oh?" The black haired woman exclaimed. "What's all of this?" She asked as she approached Roy and Riza coming out of the courthouse. Taking note of the wedding band that garnished Riza's finger.

Riza looked to see who it was addressing her. It was none other than someone she attended high school with, try as she might, no names came to mind. The black haired woman continued. "Aww, you got married in the courthouse? How sweet." She sounded condesending.

"Thank you." Riza felt a little uncomfortable talking to her, remembering her school days, this lady was so nosey, nothing got past her.

"I guess a 'shotgun' wedding isn't such a bad thing, I mean, not everyone can get married in a traditional fashion. As is the case with me and my husband." She flashed her wedding ring and gave a hauty laugh. Flicking her short black hair over her shoulder she smiled. "Ta-ta." She waved as she continued walking.

Riza sighed. "...bye..." She knew very well that this was no shotgun wedding, but now that she knew about her and Roy, it was more than likely going to be all over town before sunset.

"And who was that?" Roy asked, eyebrow raised, slightly annoyed.

Riza shook her head. "No one important...Let's go get something to eat." She smiled and headed down the stairs with him.

* * *

Sorry this chapter kind of sucks...but I'm sick and can't come up with anything better. And, no worries, Al will get to tear into Felix yet!

Oh! And for those of you who don't know what a shotgun wedding is, it's a wedding that's held when a couple finds out that their going to have a baby. So, to avoid having an illigitamate child, they hold a spur of the moment wedding.

Also...please tell me SOMEONE got the white horse refrence...just one person? Come on! (sighs)  
Oh well, tell me what you think!  
**_VVVV_**


	26. Chapter 26 Moments

Honestly...I'm not getting the response I want for this fic...lately...I don't know. It seems no one's intrested in it...I might discontinue it...maybe. Do you think I should? It's just kind of disheartening to see no reviews is all...oh well...we'll see what happens.

Anyway, I couldn't tink of a segway to stick in here that would further the plot...SO in the spirit of fluff and wasting time, here's a mild fanservice chapter till I think of something better!

There's EdxWin fluff in this one!

* * *

**Chapter 26 - Fanservice 1**

* * *

After everyone setteled down again, Edward found a moment to slink away upstairs and into Winry's room. He knocked lightly on her door and awaited a resopnse. 

"It's open." She said from the other side.

Ed was glad she wasn't napping, he didn't want to have to leave his jacket downstairs until she got up. "Hey..." He greeted her as he entered the room. She was laying down on her bed reading a little book. It looked like the one she had on her night table for the last little while, she must not have finished it yet.

"Edward? You guys are back early, did you get anything done in town?" She smiled at him as he carefully closed the door behind himself.

"Yeah. This and that..." He turned to face her, a red blush creeping up on him. "Actually, before I forget, we're going on a boat ride this Wednsday."

Winry's eye's lit up. "Really? I'm never been on a boat before." She closed her book and jumped up. "I can't wait!" She went over to give him a hug when he pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to her. "What's this?" His hand was turned down so she couldn't make out what it was exactly, she did however know that it was a box.

He sighed. "It took me twenty minutes to gather up the courage to go get them...but here." He laid the box in her hand.

"Hmm?" She turned the box over in her hand and read aloud. "Latex Con--" She clasped the box close tto her chest, her cheeks blood red but eyes teeming with excitment. "Where did you get these?!" She asked with an excited quiet hush to her voice.

"I bought them." He said sheepishly.

"You did?" She asked. He nodded. "You actually went in the store...and actually bought these?" She held up the little box.

He nodded again. "Yes..."

"You mean...you didn't get someone else to go in for you?" Winry was shocked as Ed nodded once again. Not for one second did she think the he, Edward Elric, would go out and actually buy a box of condoms. She just couldn't believe it.**(1)** "Wow...I guess I won't have to ask Nelly afterall."

Ed nodded. "Yeah...I figured not telling too many people would be safer for us...you know...just in case Pinako found out." He rubbed the back of his head as watched Winry shuffle quietly around her room, peeking in things and looking under a few things. "What are you doing?"

Winry knelt on the floor and peered under her dresser. "I'm looking for a good hiding spot. If I, or you, start acting suspicious, Granny might suspect something." She slid the box underneath the dresser and proped it behind on of the legs. "There." She stood up. "And today is laundry day, if I put them in the beaureu, she might see them."

He sighed. "Good point..."

Winry examined his face. "You look so stressed out. I thought this was suppose to be a good thing." She approached him, took him by the hand and led him over to her bed.

"Stressed?" He began. "I had to carry that in my jacket all the way home. I was so worried Dad or Al would notice them." He sat on her bed and laid back, covering his face with his hands. "Drug smugglers probably aren't as stressed as I was."

She snickered. "Maybe. But you made it home without any trouble, so I don't see what the problem is." She took hold of one of his hands and tugged it gently away from his face. "Or is it something else."

He looked up and smiled at her warmly. "Well...I guess I'm just a little anxious...I mean, this is a big deal...isn't it? It's just that..." He searched for words. "Are you sure we shouldn't wait for this to happen?"

Winry shrugged. "Wait? What's the difference between now and a few months from now? I doubt my opinion is going to change about you anytime soon Ed. You said it yourself; 'If not now, when?'"

He sat up halfway, maintaining his eye contact with Winry. "I suppose you're right...I'm still nervous about it though."

Winry nodded. "Me too." She smiled at him and leaned in close till his lips touched her own.

He smirked and brought both his hand's up to her face and rubbed her cheeks softly. A soft warm hand on one side, and a cool, smooth, metalic one on the other. Quickly taking hold of the situation, he pushed Winry back and then down to the bed. He pearched himself on top and resumed kissing her. Ed had each of her hands pinned down flat to the bed and his weight was fully resting on her hips.

Ed knew that soon, hopefully very soon, he would be able to take her fully, without worry or doubt. Sure he had imagined it at times, when no one was around looking or listening, but it was actually going to happen, for real, this time.

He knew what was going to happen, he knew the basics of the mechanics beind it, but he was still a little confused on some aspects. He lifted his head up and looked her straight in the eye. "About actually doing it...I know how that works...but how do we go about doing it?"

Winry sat up a little. "I don't know...I was kind of hoping you would know...well...I guess we could just make it up as we go along."

Ed shook his head. "That approach never worked well for me in the past."

She thougth for a moment. "You could try asking--"

"No." He said right away.

"You don't even know who I was going to say." She became slightly irritated.

Ed shrugged. "I'm not asking my dad, there's just no way. I'm not asking Al, he probably knows less than I do...I think, I hope. And asking Pinako would just be wrong on too many levels."

Winry backed down. "Oh...wait, what do you mean 'you think' Al knows less than you. There should be no 'think' about it."

He couldn't help but snicker. "I caught him and Aria doing something while hiding in Mrs. Mullins back closet."

"Doing 'something'?" She reitterated.

"Yeah, I'm not too sure what they were doing, but they both got up in a hurry." He smiled as he slumped over sideways to lay next to Winry. "Probably nothing bad, Al was all embarassed about it though."

Winry giggled. "Maybe..." She snuggled in close to him, the soft blanket beneath her bunched a little as she moved over.

Ed wrapped his free arm around her and kissed her forehead. Allowing his arm to travel lower, down to the hem of her shirt. He brushed his fingers along her bare stomach and nudge the shirt up a little. The further his hand traveled, the further up the shirt went. His hand then came in contact with something soft, and very resiliant. He groped at it gently as a little moan of happiness excaped Winry's lips. Once again he pearched himself over her, this time resting beside her on the bed. He dipped his head down so his cheek came in contact with her tummy.

She smiled and brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. "That tickels." She giggled.

He snickered a little and checked on her and then went back to what he was doing. Ed then reached his face over to the other side of her and, without bad intentions, he sunk his teeth lightly into her side. Hard enough for her to feel, but soft enough to not leave a mark. She squrimed a little under the pressure. "That really tickels." She sat up a little.

"Really?" He smirked and pushed her back down; he proceeded to bite and nibble at her sides. She fussed and squirmed to try and get away but it was no use. She couldn't help herself, it tickeled her so much that she let out a loud squeak. Ed quickly ceased his actions and came back up to her face. Locking his lips with hers. "Shh." He said quietly after breaking the kiss.

"It's kind of hard when you're doing that." She snipped at him through a smile.

He shruged. "I guess." With that said, he leaned in for a kiss again, but instead, he bit down on her lower lip. A little bit harder this time.

She inhaled deeply. "Not too rough..." She leaned up and bit back, though this time she bit harder, leaving a small mark on the outside of his bottom lip.

He moaned a little from the stimulation of the bite, but he cuoldn't help but smile; Ed seemed to be into the strangest of things at times. They played quietly in her room, just enjoying his alone time with eachother, it was more than enough.

* * *

Al grabbed the pullstring on his way down the bacement stairs. He had told Aria that there was a big freezer she could keep the tulip bulbes in till fall, so he was showing her the way. "It's right over here." He pointed across the dimly lit room to the big, and rather long, rectangular box. "See, I told you they had room." 

"Geez, that's got to be at least ten feet wide." She said as she headed down the stairs.

Al turned at the base of the steps. "Oh, you have to keep that door closed. There's rat poison around, and if Den get's down here, he might eat it."

Aria stepped up a couple steps. "Sure." She made certain that the door was closed, then hopped back down the stairs with the, now significantly smaller, bag of seeds and bulbs. She looked around the bacement. It wasn't furnished, but it wasn't dirty either. Right now, it was simply for storage; there were boxes piled around. Given a bit of work, it might have been livable. There was poured cement covering the floor and the walls were made out of solid rock bricks, not clinker bricks like most houses.

"This place is really sturdy looking." She looked around some more. This time, on the way to the freezer, she saw one solitary beam supporting the celing. "What's this?" She questioned the adjustable metal pole wedged in there.

"Oh that." Al gave it a pat. "Back when we were younger, Ed noticed the floor seemed a little off level. So he poured a glass of water on the floor, sure enough it ran and pooled all in one spot. This beam is supporting the floor to stop it form bending. The floor joyces were getting old and just started to bend over time."

Aria was a little confused. "Floor joyces?"

"These things." Al reached both his hands up and grabbed hold of one of the twelve inch thick pieces of wood that ran the length of the house. "It's what the floor boards are resting on..." He looked up, a kind of surprised look on his face. "I did get really tall." He smiled and allowed his hands to fall to his sides. "The last time I was down here, that I didn't have to duck, I was about this tall." He held up a hand to the pole about four feet off the ground.

Aria smiled. "That must have been a while ago.

Al nodded. "I think I was about...seven at the time." He turned and began walking over to the freezer when he felt and heard something splash beneath his foot. "Huh?" He looked down to see that there was a pool of water there that was leaking from the freezer. "I think the freezer has a leak somewhere." He extended a hand to Aria. "You'll get your feet wet if you walk over here. I'll put them in, I kept my shoes on."

She smiled. "Thanks Al." He nodded. "Could you make sure you put them in a spot where nothing will get put on top of them." She politely requested.

"No problem." He stood in front of the big freezer and lifted the lid. Inside were many frozen goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat and a few different kinds of fish. It was being stored in case of emergencies, though some of the things that were in there probably were freezer burnt by then. He looked for a suitable spot and placed the paper bag down where it would be safe. "There." Just as Al dropped the lid of the freezer, he heard a fizz, then a smal clink and then, there was darkness.

"What just happened?" Aria questioned.

Al looked around in the darkness. "I think I broke a fuse...maybe." He lifted the lid of the freezer, he could hear it humming. "No, the engine is still going. I think the light just died."

Aria smiled. "This is the second time today we've been stuck in a dark room. We're on role."

"Really though." Al laughed a little and took a step in the opposite direction the freezer was in. He held his hands out in front of him a little, not wanting to run into that beam, he felt his way in the dark. Aria held onto the beam to keep a land mark of where she was. "Except this time, it's a bigger room and I can't see a darn thing. Can you?" He really couldn't see a thing.

Aria shook her head. "No, nothing." She then felt a hand brush up against her chest. "Ah!" She jumped back a little. "I thought you said you couldn't see!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! I really didn't meant to do that." He waved his hands frantically. He blushed deeply; if his cheeks could glow, they would have been able to light the way to the stairs. He actually really didn't mean to do it.

"Are you sure?" Aria was a little skeptical.

"Yes, I'm sure." Al felt a something brush up against his hand. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's ok...just..." She took hold of his hand and stepped toward him. Upon ensuring that she was close enough to him, she took her arms up around his neck and hugged him tightly. Aria, without Al knowing, allowed a few silent tears to run down her face. '_I'm so sorry Al...I should have never gotten you involved with Felix...you're so innocent and sweet..._' She felt it best not to say it out loud, but she figured her tight hug was more than enough to express her feelings.

* * *

**(1)** - To this day...four years into my relationship with Dave...he has NEVER went and bought a box of condoms for us...I have always had to do it. (Sorry if I'm being a little too personal right now, but the truth must be told) Now, I'm not sure what kind of taboo or shame is attached to pucrchasing such things...but for some reason, it's there. My friends who are in relationships ALL have the same problem. I really don't know what it is. 

See, Ed's just full of surprises. Ah, the long awaited "first time" is soon at hand!


	27. Chapter 27 Coming Down

Hey, my name's Eve Nightingale, I'm sure you've heard of me, I'm the one writing this fic...you know, the one who'd been missing for...oh, I don't know, A MONTH! Really sorry for not posting sooner, first it was the Sims 2 and then Silent Hill 4 and then FF 12 and everything just kept my free time pre-occupied I just totally lost my muse. (Of course, the baby boo got the rest of my time. (-: )

Things are back on track now and I'm here to update at least once a week like I did before!

Thanks for sticking with me! And once more, sorry for the late update. I hope you guys still like my fic:)

* * *

**Chapter 27 - Coming down**

* * *

"It's a little late to start gardening now...I'll get up in the morning and do it." Aria smiled as she sorted throguh her seeds in the middle of the living room floor. It was supper time and it wasn't busy in the living room, so she didn't need to worry about getting in the way.

Al crouched down across the pile of seeds and looked at them all with curiosity. "Are you really going to plant so many?" He questioned. She had to have bought two hundred seeds.

"Yup!" She said proudly as she stacked some of the packages on top of one another. "You'd be surprised how quickly seeds go. I'll be done this in no time."

He smiled. "Are you going to use alchemy to make the garden?"

Aria shook her head. "Nah, I find it's more rewarding growing them myself...they taste better too." She searched through the pile. "Now where did that go..." She seemed to be looking for a certain one. She bent over the pile and continued searching. "Ah." She sat back down. "These ones are important, I need to plant them in the four corners." She flashed the package to Al.

He looked at the little picture on the front of it carefully. It seemed to have an odd little green symbol on the front that looked like an accumulation of leaves. It looked oddly familiar, though he couldn't quite plac it. "Wait a sec." He thought about it. "That's hemp isn't it?"

Aria nodded and placed the package in the little pile. "Yeah. But as I've said before, it won't be abused. Strictly for medicinal purposes only." Al smiled at her again. "That and cat's hate the smell of the stuff, it dangerous for them, so they know not to come into the garden. I love kitties, but I don't want them eating all the leaves to my root vegetables, that's where half their nutrients come from." She held up another pack of seeds. "Also...I don't want them eating the Cat-Mint until it's flowered. I wanted to send a little to central for Kale to enjoy."

"Cat-Mint...isn't that kind of like a drug for cats." He questioned.

Aria thought about it for a moment. "Actually...It's an aphrodisiac. That's why only mature cats, one's who hit puberty, enjoy it so much...makes them go crazy."

"Good to know." They laughed. It was nice to see that Aria too shared his love of cats, maybe someday they could get a female cat and let her have kittens. Al's mind squee'd at the thought of kittens.

"Hey Al?" Aria snapped him out of his little kitty fantasy. "Do you have a place I can keep these till morning?"

He nodded and stood up, just then, from no where, his head began to ache. He placed his hand up to his forehead.

"What's wrong?" She questioned.

Al shrugged. "I don't know...I just got hit with this headache. I'll be fine." He smiled and went over by the door and opened the cubby beneath the coat hangers. He pulled out a little wooden crate and brought it over to Aria. "This ok?"

She nodded and picked up the stack.

* * *

Later on, Al stood in the kitchen, next to Pinako, helping her cut up the vegetables for supper. Lots of carrots and turnips and some potatoes; she was making a roast, so all kinds of yummy things were going into the pot to cook along side it. Al slowed down in cutting and lowered his head again.

Pinako, catching him in her perefrial vision, saw that he seemed uneasy. "Al, you seem troubled."

He placed the knife down and rubbed his eyes. "I'm ok, I just have no energy...and a headache."

She leaned over and examined his face; Al seemed to be a great deal paler than normal. "You don't really look all that well...I'll finish up here, you go and sit down. The last thing I need is you fainting." She knew that he was indeed trying to regain the weight he had lost, but she also knew that he was having a hard time doing it. He had fainted on numerous occasions before.

There would be the odd time where Al would just forget to eat for almost a whole day straight. Apparently his body became acustomed to just plain ol' 'not eating', all in all, it just wasn't good for him. Pinako figured this was one of those days where he hadn't had much to eat.

"Here, take this and go sit down." She chopped off a piece of raw turnip and poked it with a knife till it stuck to the tip. She extended the vegetable piece to him.

"Oh." He smiled. "Thanks." He always confused his brother when he ate raw vegetables, but Al always thought it was delicious. He took a bite of the turnip and headed for the kitchen door. He paused and turned around. "Actually...I hate to ask..." He hesitated. "But, is it ok if I take a nap before supper?" He hated sleeping during the day, it threw off his night time sleep. He had just gotten acustomed to sleeping again, and it was in his best not to mess around with it.

Pinako gave him a look of concern but nodded. "Call me if you need anything." She turned and continued chopping her vegetables while standing on her booster stool, it was the only way to reach the top of the counter for her.

"Thanks." With that being said, Al headed off to his room to sleep. On the way up the stairs, he held on tightly to the railing. His head was throbbing and now his stomach was beginning to bother him. Managing to finish the turnip piece though, he laid down on his bed, curled up in his blankets and went to sleep.

* * *

"Edward, did you see your brother anywhere?" Hohenheim looked around the living room. He hadn't seen Al a whole lot since they got home.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Aria poked her head in from the kitchen. "He went upstairs to lay down about an hour ago. Supper's ready actually, would you mind going to get him?"

Ed stood up. "Sure." He walked up the stairs and rounded the railing to Al's door. Their room was on the side of the house opposite the Balcony, witch was Winry's room. He looked past the spare room Aria was staying in on the right side and the other spare room that his father was staying in on the other, right next to Pinako's. He found it amazing that this house could hold so many people. Even so, it still was a little crowded. He approached Al's door and knocked lightly, knowing how lightly his brother slept, he he knocked loudly, it would probably scared him half to death.

"Al?" He questioned quietly through the door. Upon hearing no answer, he turned the knob lightly and peeked in. He saw his own bed against the wall, the one witch he had not been sleeping in the last night or so, and Al's was on the other side. "You in here?"

Al stirred and sat up quickly and kept his head lowered. "What?" Still half asleep, he didn't quite know what was going on.

"Supper's done." Ed walked over to Al's bed and saw his little brother rubbing his head.

"I'm not hungry." He said with a grimace.

The older boy raised an eyebrow. "Al, you know you should eat something. You weigh little or nothing, come on, you can nap later."

He shook his head. "I really don't feel all that good actually...my stomch is killing me..." He rubbed his face as he tried to sit up a little more.

"Do you feel sick or something?" Ed knelt down and placed his left hand on Al's forehead. His eyes immedatly widened. "You're boiling hot...I'm going to get a termometer." With that he stood up and left the room.

Al laid back down. It had been so long since he last felt this bad, even when he was a lot younger he was rarely sick. His head pounded and his stomach ached a considerable amount, and to make things worse, he was cold, very cold. Chalking it up to the fever, he closed his eyes and almost immedatly fell back to sleep.

Soon after, Ed entered the room with Aria following close behind. "No, he just feels really warm...it might be a fever." He shook the mercury in the thermometer down to the bottom. "Al? Huh...Did he fall asleep again?"

She looked at Al, laying there, he seemed lifeless. "Looks like it." She went over and sat on the bed next to him and placed her hand on his forehead and then his cheek. "He does feel really warm." Al's eyes fluttered open. "Oh good, you're awake. We need to check your temperature."

Ed checked to make sure all the silver liquid was in the bottom of the little glass stick. "Here, keep this under your tongue." Ed held it out and Al took it in his mouth.

Closing his eyes again, he made a kind of sour looking face. "I feel terrible...and this thing isn't making it any better." He wiggled the termometer around. "I feel nausous..." He grunted.

"Just two minutes and it'll be over." Aria smiled and placed a hand on his chest. "I wonder what it could be." She turned to Ed who was standing next to her. "He was fine right up until we got home."

The elder of the two brother's shrugged. "I have no clue. It hit pretty fast, whatever it was."

They sat there quietly for the rest of the two minutes. Aria then extended her hand and took hold of the thermometer. "Ok, let it go." She gently removed it form his mouth and peered at the tiny writing on the side. "...101 degrees, you do have a bit of a fever."

"What's the normal temperature?" Ed questioned.

"Uh...97 to 98 is regular, 99.5 and up is considered a fever." She tugged his blankets up to his shoulders. "You should get something in your stomach. If you're sick, you'll need something to fight it."

Al rolled on his side and curled up into a ball. "I don't think I can eat."

Ed piped up. "You should try, or at the very least drink something."

He nodded. "I guess...water, maybe."

"I saw apple juice in the fridge, would that be ok?" The red haired girl asked quietly.

He hesitated and then nodded.

"I'll also bring you up a pill to help with the headache too." Aria smiled and stood up next to Edward. With that done, they both left the room. She quietly closed the door behind herself and turned to Edward. "I wonder what it could be."

Ed shrugged. "No clue. I'm hoping it's not contagious; the last thing I need is to be sick." They both shuffled off downstairs. Aria returned briefly to Al to make sure he drank the juice and take a pill. No sooner had she left the room when Al drifted back off to sleep.

She leaned against his door and thought about what happened throughout the day. '_Possibly when we went up to that corw's nest on the ship he might have caught a chill...or maybe something in the closet that he might have been sensitive to. Hmm..._' She thought to herself.

* * *

"Do you think he's going to be ok?" Winry laid down on her bed, staring up at her celing.

Ed reached under her dresser and pulled out the little box that drove him crazy the whole trip home that day. "He's just a little sick, he'll be fine." He walked over to her bed with the box in his hands. Sitting down on the edge of the bed he openend the end of the box and peeked inside.

Winry sat up and knelt on the bed next to him. "So...how do these things work anyway?"

Ed took one out and examined the package. "Not too sure..." It looked as though is was a circle. "Looks like there's a ring in there...maybe it's like cereal, you get a little free gift in the bottom." He snickerd.

"I don't think so Ed." She giggled. "Are there instructions?"

He looked inside the box to see if there was indeed anything to inform you how to use such an apparatas. But to his dismay, there was nothing. "Uh...there's none...at all." He looked inside the box to see if the directions were printed there. "Why wouldn't they put instructions on something like this?! This isn't common everyday knoledge!"

Winry sighed. "Maybe it is for adults..."

Ed laid back on the bed. "Are you saying we should wait then?" He seemed a little disapointed.

Winry shook her head. "No...I just think we might have to ask an adult."

He blushed. "Who could we ask?"

Winry thought about it for a moment. "What about your dad?"

"No!" He answered without a hitch.

"Didn't think so..." She thougth for a few more seconds. "Maybe Aria might know...I mean, she seems to know about lots of stuff. Maybe we'll luck out and she'll know something about this."

Ed thought about it for a second. "Well...she know a lot about what she does...and from what I gathered, a lot about medicine too. It doens't mean she would have any idea about this."

Winry rested her chin on Ed's shoulder. "Maybe we could ask our family doctor. He's bound to know."

Ed stood up and began walking toward Winry's dresser. "Yeah, that sound like a good idea. And the 'Doctor, patient confidentially' thing is a plus." She smiled as she watched Ed stash the contraban under her dresser once again.

He stood and folded his arms. "Great. Now you can just make an appointment and we'll be set."

She raised an eyebrow. "There's nothing wrong with me though."

Ed thought about it for a moment. "Hmm...maybe this will be a little more difficult than I thought. Let's just sleep on it." He headed over to Winry's bed and sat down, and immedatly locked her lips with his own. Tugging her down into a laying position on the bed he kissed her softly.

"In your own bedroom Edward." Pinko's voice echoed form the other side of the door.

Ed shot up the second the shrill voice resonated in his ears. "Of course!" He said with feigned '_non-surprise'_. He listened carefully till he heard the footsteps move away from the door. He blushed. "I wonder how much of that conversation she heard."

Winry shrugged, also blushing. "I hope not all that much...I guess you have to go into your own room tonight."

Ed seemed a little upset. "Al's sick...I'd rather not. I'll just keep him up all night with all my tossing and turning. I'll jsut stay on the coach downstairs." Ed stood up and headed to the bedroom door. Then he turned on his heel and smiled. "Unless I can sneak in later." He opened the door and left the room. Winry smiled and flopped back on her bed.

* * *

There you have it...it sucks...but oh well, just wait till I get going again, all shall be well!

Cute fact! When writing this chapter, when I got to the part about the turnip, I had to get up and make myself turnip and sweet potatoe! Try it! Just mix equal parts of cooked turnip and cooke sweet potatoe! It's so yummy! Don't forget, add margerine!

Remember, your reviews help a lot!  
**VVVV**


	28. Chapter 28 Diagnosis

Around the end, my boyfriend decided to crash my role that I was on...thus I had to end the chapter because he was being a douchebag...sorry guys.

I did my best to progress...and I think for once...I did it. :) I'm happy with how this turned out...for the most part. Aside for the end which Dave came and said something like. 'I'm just trying to get intrested in what you do.' (Sigh) He was just spying to see if I was writing a lemon. (He can be such a jerk.)

Oh, no big deal. The next one will be good. Thanks for sticking with me! Love you guys!

* * *

**Chapter 28 - Diagnosis**

* * *

Aria laid in her bed, arm hanging over the edge and body dangerously teetering on the side. Surprisingly enough, she balanced herself carefully; she balanced herself right up until she heard the rough closing of a door, at which point her body jerked and she fell to the floor with a thud. "Ow...damn...damn..." Her arm had fallen asleep. As quickly as she fell, she pulled herself back up onto the bed and under the covers. 

"Stupid floor...gettin' in my way..." Aria muttered to herself as she tried her best to fall back asleep. Not even twenty minutes later, she awoke to the sound of a door closing yet again. Somewhat softer this time. She sat up and slung her legs over the edge of the bed, though it was the middle of the night, she found herself needing something to drink.

Walking out into the hall she noticed the bathroom light on. She closed and leaned against her door and waited for the bathroom to become unoccupied. She head the water running and the sound of brushing. '_Who would brush their teeth this late at night?_' She peered through the darkness in the hall at the clock on the wall. '_3 AM...geez...it's really late._'

Finally hearing the water shut off the door creaked open. "Aria?" Al questioned as he saw the young girl standing up against her door. "I'm sorry...you should have knocked."

She shook her head. "I only wanted a drink. I'm just too lazy to go downstairs." She smiled and approached him. He looked quite sickly and he teetered as he stood there. "How are you feeling now?"

Al shook his head. "Horrible. I've been getting sick all night. I can't even drink anything anymore; hell, I can't even fall asleep now."

She became concerned. This was more serious than they originally thought. "Let me feel your head." He leaned down a little and Aria placed her palm over his forehead. "Wow! You feel really warm. Go lay down, I'm going to get that thermometer again."

Al nodded. "Sure." Aria nodded an headed downstairs. He went into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed and allowed his body to fall off to the side. He lay there, trying to catch his breath. is stomach was killing him and he felt so dizzy he couldn't sit up straight.

A minute or so later, Aria appeared through the door. "It was on top of the fridge, how cruel was that?" She poked fun at her height. "I had to pull up a chair. Quite sad...Al..." She gazed at him laying there, so weak and helpless. Aria couldn't help but feel pitty for him, she hated being sick more than anything else, she couldn't imagine what he was going through at that moment.

"Can you sit up?" She watched him nodd weakly and then in a feeble attempt to sit up, he fell right back to where he was laying. "Here..." She linked his arm with hers and sat him up straight.

"Thanks." He said in a very sickly tone. She popped the thermometer in his mouth and they waited. Al, whilst his temperature was being taken, tugged his blankts up and around his shoulders. He shivered.

"Do you feel cold?" She asked with concern. He nodded, he knew he shouldn't open his mouth, it would have thrown off the reading. "Come here." She wrapped her arms around him and tugged him close, holding him carfully in her embrace. "I hope you feel better soon, I hate seeing you like this." He nodded again, but just barely. "Al..." She hugged him. "You're shaking so much. Are you still awake?" He nodded once more. "That's good to hear. I was just worried; once your body's temperature gets too high, you start to convulse. Glad to see you're doing ok though."

After the two minutes passed he took the thermometer out of his mouth and handed it to Aria. "Let's see..." She looked at the little glass stick and read the side. "Onehundred and...what? 104? Al...thst's high. We should get you to a doctor."

He looked worried. "They're not open till nine in the morning though."

Aria thought about it. "We'll have to take you to the hospital then. If you get too warm I don't want you going into shock." Aria stood up. "Can you get dressed?" He nodded. "Alright, I'll go call us a cab." With that said, she quickly scurried off.

She returned a few minutes later. Sitting on the bed she rubbed his shoulders to comfort him. "They'll be here in a few minutes. Do you want me to wake Edward up, or maybe your dad? Or would you rather just go with me?"

Al smiled, a half smile. "I don't mind going with you...but we should call in the morning when everyone get's up."

She nodded. "Right...let's go sit on the step out front; that should help your fever and keep you awake."

* * *

"What do you think it might be?" Al rested his chin on his knees as they sat on the front step. 

Aria shrugged. "Maybe the flu...or maybe kidney stones. I had one of those before, it made me really sick. I was a lot worse off than you though, so I don't think it's a stone."

Al sighed. "I hope it's just a flu...I hate being sick."

She rubbed his hand. "I don't think anyone likes it...hmm?" She peered off in the distance. "I think I see our drive." She stood up and extended her hand. "I'll help you up."

He nodded, weakly, and took her hand. It felt so nice and warm against his hands which were freezing cold. His body may have been ravaged with a fever, but his fingers and even his toes had gone numb. It was all for the best though. Soon his body would reheat and make him all woozy again.

* * *

The little section of the woods had been watched like prey being staked by a wild animal; the police had recieved Hohenheim's message within the day and officers were already being dispatched to invistigate. The rugged man looked out of the small cabin and waited for the flashlights to disppear. 

"Soon..." He muttered and walked to the back room. His followers were polishing off guns and sharpening various kinds of weapons.

"Master." The large dark skinned man said and rose. "Have they come."

He raised a hand and eased his minion. "No...but I fear if we don't pack up and move out, they will." He turned to Felix, bound, gagged and uncontious in the corner. "Once we break him, he will lead us to the one with the red eyes. The one who will lead us to that demon."

The large black man nodded and cracked his knuckels. "Give me three days and he'll be as devoted as the rest of us sir."

The short, tattered, older man smirked. "We shall have life eternal...all we need is a little time and more power." He snickered as he approached Felix's unmoving form. Grabbing his wallet that had fallen out of his pocket, he opened it and searched through it. There was a great deal of money and a single picture. A picture of Aria. "He seems obessed with this one." He flashed the picture to his rather large, burly companion. "Raul...use her...she will be the key in breaking him."

Raul took the picture and examined it. "She's only a child. Would it be wise to--"

The cloaked man shook his head. "Don't use 'her'...use the 'idea' of her. Tell him whatever you have to.."

The tall man nodded. "Hmm...this should be easy then."

* * *

"Are you ok now?" Aria rubbed Al's back in sympathy. 

"Yeah." He said weakly staring blankly at the shrub. "Sorry about that..." He said as he was leaning down, supporing his balance on his knees.

She smiled. "It's ok, I know you're not feeling well...but thanks for throwing caution to the bush for me."

"The least I could do." Al caught his breath and attempted to stand up, only to teeter and almost fall right on top of Aria. "Damn..." She balanced him as he stood up straight. "Sorry."

She smiled. "Stop appoligizing, it's really ok. Come on, let's get you inside."

"Agh!" Al clasped his hands around his mid-section and winced in pain. "My stomach is killing me."

Aria examined the area he was holding. "Al...your stomach is up higher...that's where your intestines are...I'm pretty sure anyway."

He shrugged as best he could. "Ooh...whatever it is, it hurts like a bitch."

"Come on." Aria steadied him and they walked in the front door. The hospital was rather small, but it was well kept and looke quite nice. She shifted her vision from side to side as she looked for where to go. "Triage Nurse. There we go." The little sign on the outside of the door said 'register here'.

Aria knocked on the frame of the door and peeked inside. "Hello?"

The nurse sitting in the chair turned around and noticed Aria's presence. "Oh?" He seemed surprised. "Awfully late to be coming to the hospital, must be serious. Come in, sit." He motioned to the chair next to his. "What seems to be the trouble?"

With that said, Aria led Al into the room and he sat down on the chair across from the nurse. "Alphonse?" The man inquired. "I haven't seen you in a while, how've you been?" He fiddled with some papers and searched out his pencil.

"I was fine up until this afternoon. I got a head ache and then a stomach ache and now I keep getting sick. I have a high fever too...that's actually why I'm here."

Aria chimed it. "Last I checked, it was at 104."

The nurse examined Al, he looked at his face and felt his forehead. "You do look deadly pale. Here..." He stuck out a thermometer and Al took it in his mouth. "Did he eat antyhign strange?"

Aria shook her head. "No, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Bitten by anything?" He continued asking questions.

"No." And Aria continued answering.

"Did he come in contact with any strange chemicals?"

Aria thought. They were downstairs putting something in the freezer, but it didn't look like anythign was leaking into the bacement. But then again, maybe that water Al thought was coming form the freezer wasn't actually water. "Um, we were down in the bacement, and the floor had water on it...well, it looked like water...could it have been someting else?"

The nurse looked concerned. "Possibly. Radon is a colorless ouderless gas that's been known to leak into bacements. It kills a lot of house hold animals, but I don't think it would make him this sick." He reached for the thermometer and gently tugged it out of Al's mouth. "105?" He looked concerned.

"I was down there too, so wouldn't I be affected?" She rubbed Al's back.

"I'm not sure, you're going to have to wait for the doctor for that analysis. But I'll tell him all I've assesed...you two can go wait in the first examination room. The doctor should be with you shortly." He stood up and extended a han to Al.

Al reached up and rose to his feet as best he could. "AH!" He cluched his side in pain. That same spot on around his hip ached again.

"Are you ok?" The nurse leaned down.

"It hurts right here." He placed a hand over the soft area next to his right hip.

The male nurse looked intrigued. "That might be your appendix..." He scribbled something down and then crossed something out. "I'll be sure to tell the doctor to check for apendicitis before antying else. Because to me, that's exactally what it sounds like." He took up the papers off the desk. "You two head over there now, I have to deliver these." Straightening the papers he left out the other door on the opposite side of the room and closed it behind himself.

"You here that? I think we have a diagnosis for you Al." Aria smiled and led them out the door they came in.

"Yeah." He said with a bland tone. "What's appendicitis?"

Aria shrugged. "No clue..." She thought for a moment. "Well, the word ends in 'itis', and I think that means it's something that's infected or swollen...but don't quote me on that." They came up to examination room one and entered the room. It's walls were white and it had a mint green border going all around the center of the walls. It was about six inches thick. The examination table sat directly in the middle of the room covered in a steril sheet, color similar to that of the green border of the room. There was a large light fixture hanging down from the celing and there was a counter lining the back wall.

Al sat on the table and the steril cloth crumpled beneath him. He laid back on what felt like a fabric pillow beneath the strange plastic like sheet. "I'm glad you came...Ed hates hospitals, he'd be complaining every step of the way." Al shivered a little. "So cold in here."

"You're really sick Al, I doubt Ed would complain about keeping you company." Aria looked around the room for a blanket. She had the one they left the house with draped under her arm, but that was all. "Here." She tossed the light blanket over him and watched him curel up on his side.

"Maybe..." He closed his eyes and laid still. His stomach was beginning to hurt, it was only a matter of time before he would find himself trecking towards the bathroom again. He cringed at the thought.

"Alphonse?" A woman appeared from around the corner carrying a clip board. "I hear you're not feeling well. Let's see what we can do."

* * *

I figured I'd update now just to keep things going...I feel bad about being so late with the last chapter. 

I am going somewhere with this. No worries!

Thanks again everyone!

OH! I re-vamped my site! O.o I didn't do all that much to it, but I made buttons for my links and there's a picture of me up now! A good one! So now you can all know the face behind the fic! ;) Laters!

One last thing, come chapter 30, I'll be posting something special along with it. Nothing big, just a few of the ideas I was going to go with but ended up either scraping it or coming up with something better. Keep an eye out for it! XD


	29. Chapter 29 Healing Process

Here it is, another chapter for you to enjoy. I really hope I'm not boring you guys with this stuff...I mean, I like writing it, but that doesn't mean everyone will like reading it. Drop me a line and tell me what you think I could be doing something better, or even better, leave me a review. :) I'm quite open, and I'll more than likely take your opinion to heart.

But yes, I'm progressing, and I'm loving it. Finally, I'm getting out of the rut I was in earlier this last month. So to put all the Al fans at ease (This means you ShadowCloud (: ) Al is going to be getting just what he needs in this chapter. And a cute little bit with Aria too. :) So yea! All is going to be ok!

* * *

**Chapter 29 – Healing Process**

* * *

"Appendicitis...hmm." She laid her clipboard down on the side counter. "You're a little young for it to be that, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check." 

Aria watched her fiddle with something in a drawer, it seemed as though she was looking for something. "Um, what is appendicitis?"

The doctor looked over her shoulder. "It's a condition where the appendix gets infected and becomes inflamed. It's just an accessory organ that has no real purpose anymore. It's speculated that it once helped humans digest uncooked meat a long time ago, but there's no real proof of it."

The young girl nodded. "I was right then, it was an infection." She smiled at Al laying on the examination table, he gave her a weak smile in return.

"Do your parents know your're here?" The older woman inquired.

Al shook his head. "No."

She looked concerned. "You should inform them where you're at."

Aria nodded. "Sure, I'll call as soon as we're sure what he has...if that's ok." She was always a little timid around doctors, merely out of respect though.

"That'll be just fine." The doctor snapped a pair of rubber gloves on and turned around. "Ok, let's see. Where is it sore at?" Al pointed the to general area where the cramp was. "Right area for it." She lifted the bottom of his shirt up slightly and pressed her fingers against the spot that he had indicated.

"AH!" He winced in pain.

"I'm sorry Al, but I have to check to see if it's swollen." She furrowed her brow as she felt around the sore area.

"If it hurts this much, don't you think it just might be swollen? Ah..." He managed to get out in one breath.

The doctor shook her head. "It might be a cyst and not appendicitis, so we have to be sure." She removed her hand "I can't tell. I need to get you to take your pants down. Just to your knees."

Al sat bolted upright. "What?!"

Aria stood up and pointed both fingers toward the door. "Ok! I should leave for this one."

He looked frantic. "Aria, no, wait, don't leave me here."

"Sorry." She quickly slipped out the door and spoke from the other side. "It's for the good of your health Al."

Al slowly looked back at the Doctor waiting patiently. "Can't you just look down my throat, or something?"

She shook her head. "I doubt your intestines that way."

He sighed. "Couldn't you at least try?" She shook her head. "Damn..." Defeated, he reluctantly reached for his belt buckle.

* * *

Aria lowered her head, she felt bad abandoning him like that, but it was for the best. She looked from side to side for a place to sit. Seeing no chairs in sight, she leaned against the wall and waited. Passing by, she recognized a familiar figure. "Mrs. Mullins?" She questioned.

The old lady turned to see Aria standing there. "Ooh, Aria was it?" She remembered her name, Aria was touched. "It's good to see you again in such a short time. I take it you didn't get caught by that leech Felix did you." She smiled.

Aria nodded. "Almost, but Hohenheim got rid of him real quick." She gave her a look of concern. "What are you doing here, you're not sick are you?"

Phyllis shook her head. "No dear, I'm here to visit Mr. Mullins, he's not been in the best of health recently." She sighed. "He took a turn for the worse, so I decided to spend the night here with him, just incase..." She sighed.

Aria lowered her gaze. "I hope he's feeling better soon."

Phyllis smiled. "You're a sweet girl, thank you." She examined her face. "Don't feel bad for me, we both have lived long lives, there's nothing to be sad about. I'm in my sixties and he's eighty-eight, that's quite old."

She was shocked slightly. "I guess so." Still, she did feel a little bad.

"And what are you here for? You seem to be doing ok."

The red haired girl looked up. "Oh, I'm here with Al, they think it's his appendix."

Phyllis placed a slightly shaky hand on her shoulder. "Oh, bless his heart. I pray he feels better soon."

She nodded. "Me too."

Phyllis took a step back. "I need to be going, I forgot his prescription at home. I hope next time we see each other, it'll be in higher spirits."

Aria nodded. "Yeah, bye." She waved as Phyllis walked off. It was nice to see someone like her at a times like that, she imagined it was the same for her. A smiling face will always brighten a day that seems gloomy.

She waited for another minute outside the room for Al. The time seemed to pass very slowly, being so late in the evening, it was no wonder a few seconds felt like an hour. Aria yawned and rubbed her eyes. Doing nothing made her tired.

Just then, the door opened and the doctor come out, clipboard in hand. She looked at Aria standing next to the door. "Don't worry, she didn't run away." Pointing a finger in her direction while looking back at Al.

"Ok." He said weakly from inside the room.

Aria was curious as to what the doctor might have been checking for if she had to do such a thing to poor Al. She watched Al leave the room and stand next to her. "So..." She gave a slight awkward pause. "How are you feeling?" As if she didn't know.

"Nauseous...tired..." he narrowed his eyes and stared off in another direction. "...and violated...but on a good note." He turned his attention back to her. "My prostate is apparently really healthy...whatever that is."

Aria shrugged. "That's good I guess."

Al held his stomach. "Apparently I've got lots of organs I've never even knew existed. This is the first time I've even heard the word appendix...well, at least first time I've heard it used to name a body organ."

That was right, the back of most big text books had an appendix to guide you to certain key words and subjects you might want to look up. She then had a good idea, not one to make any progress in making Al feel better, but one to feed her curiosity of what was wrong with him. "Do you have a book I could read about appendicitis in?" She asked the Doctor politely.

The doctor nodded. "Yes." She rounded the corner in the hall to where the nurses were. They had their own private section to do their work. The doctor, later to be know as Dr. Heston, looked in one of the bookshelves that was next to the filing cabinet. She searched through some of the titles and pulled out a big one, not substantially big, but still relatively big. "Anything and everything you would need to know about any organ is in here, you'll have to go searching for it, but 'Appendix' is in there. That'll give you something to do while he's in the operating room."

All the color washed from Al's face. "Operating room?!" He stammered out. "B-but...I thought you said it was just inflamed? I was thinking at best, some pills."

She shook her head. "No, it's got to come out. If you'll just wait, I'll come get you when they're ready for you. Excues me." With that said, she headed off down the hall.

He could feel that nervousness creep up on him. Turing he saw Aria looking for something. "There." She said. "You can come sit down with me over here."

He paused. "Actually, I'm going to go find a bathroom, I'll be right back." With that, he headed off in the direction of the facilities.

Aria was concerned. He seemed to be under a great deal of stress, but lucky for him, it would all be over soon, or so she hoped it would be. Walking over and sitting down on the long padded bench she opened the book and flipped right to the back to look up the condition, appendicitis. Quickly finding 'appendix' she flipped to the according page.

Quite a few minutes passed when she saw Al coming around the corner and right over to the bench. He sat down next to her. "You know, I'm thinking of just going home and toughing it out there. At least I'd be able to lay down."

Aria looked up from what she was reading. "Umm...I don't think that's such a good idea..." She glanced back at the book. "From my understanding, Appendicitis doesn't go away. It just stays there, get's worse. Then, the appendix itself bursts...it's swollen remember." She traced her finger in the book to find a certain part she had read earlier on. "If that happens, the stuff on the inside of it causes Sepsis." She flipped to a part in the book that her little finger was book marking. "And Sepsis, is blood poisoning. Which results in high blood pressure, high fever, sever dehydration, shock, and eventually, in your particular case...death..."

Al was shocked. "...and you read all that in such a short about of time?"

She shrugged. "What can I say, I hit a rhythm."

He sighed. "So it looks like I'm staying then." He lowered his head.

Aria laid the book down beside her. "You can rest your head down on my lap if you like." She blushed a little.

Al nodded and slowly tilted off to the side. Resting his head on her legs, he closed his eyes and started to doze off. "Thanks again." He said quietly, facing away from her.

"Shh. It's no trouble." She ran her fingers through his hair. He was really warm, and his head lay heavy on her lap. She had also read that getting the appendix removed in time would stop any adverse effects he might be having. She was hoping the Doctor would hurry with the operating room so he could just get this all over with.

A half hour passed when Aria felt a hand shake her shoulder slightly. She lifted her head up and saw that Dr. Heston standing above her. "Huh?" She rubbed her eyes, apparently she too had dozed off.

"We're ready for him." She said with a slight smile.

"Huum...Oh, sorry." Still a little groggy and confused to where she was, she caught on that they were in the hospital still. "Al?" She shook him a little.

"Wha?" He said, still half asleep. It was the first amount of good sleep he had all that night.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but we have to get you in the operating room as soon as possible." Dr. Heston extended a hand to help him up. She and Aria both helped him to his feet. "It'll all be over soon, and trust me, you'll feel a lot better." Turning to Aria she smiled. "You should go make that phone call now. This will be about two hours."

Aria nodded and stood up. "You're right. Thank you." Still a little shaky from the lack of food and sleep, Al took the Doctor's arm as she led him down the hall. Aria was relieved that he was finally getting just what he needed.

Aria went back to the reception desk at the front of the hospital to look for a phone. She went to the desk and looked at the secretary sitting there, doing work. "Excuse me, could I use your phone?"

The lady looked up at her and nodded. "Sure." She picked up the entire phone and laid it in front of her.

* * *

A loud ringing resonated throughout the entire Rockbell house. Winry, being right next to the phone in her room, rolled over and clumsily reached for the phone. After a few tries, and knocking her alarm clock down in the process, she grabbed hold of the receiver. "Hello, Rockbell Automail, Winry speaking, how can I help you." She said in a very sleepy tone. 

"Winry." Aria's voice rang through the phone. "It's me, Aria."

She opened her eyes a little and stared off into the darkness. "Oh good, you got the phone." With that said, she reached over and hung up the phone. Satisfied all was well, she turned over and laid right back down.

Ed rolled over and snuggled his arm around her. "Who was that?" He said with a tired tone in his voice.

"Someone calling for Aria." She replied, an with that, snuggled in close and went right back to sleep.

* * *

"Wait Winry, don't hang...up...damn..." Aria looked blankly into the phone, apparently Winry was a little confused that it was her calling the house. She laid the receiver back down and gave a sigh. "I guess I'll try again in the morning." With that said, she thanked the secretary and headed back off to the waiting room to await Al's return.

* * *

There you have it, tell me what you think. And remember, if you are bored, tell me! 

Hope you guys liked it!  
Remember, leave a little review for me. :)  
**_VVVV_**


	30. Chapter 30 Awkward Questions

This chapter made me smile...it was long, but it was funny and cute all at the same time.

At the end there's going to be a series of ideas that I was going to go with, but didn't. I'll have the reasons there as to why I didn't go with it. So don't be frightened by it's length:)

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. There's little or no romance...except for the little kiss right there...but I'm saving anything good for the next chapter...and if you read this...you'll see what I mean. :) Enjoy!

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**Chapter 30 - Awkward Questions

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**

Al's eyes fluttered open as he weairly regaind his bearings on where exactally he was. He remembered going into the operating room, laying down on the table and then nothing else. He figured he just fell asleep right away, he was quite exauested. Looking off to the side he saw that the sun had come up and was shining in the room. Right in front of the window was Aria. She was wrapped up in a hospital issue flanel blanket with her head resting on the back of the rocking chair that swayed slightly beneath her.

He smiled, and it wasn't a forced smile. He felt better, and that was the main thing that made him happy. Though seeing Aria sitting there, her faux-red hair sparkling the the early morning light and the cute little shadow that her nose made on the rest of her face made it all the better. "Aria...that can't be comfortable." Her neck looked as though it had a bit of a crick in it.

Aria's eyes slowly opened and she rubbed them. Dr. Heston led her to Al's room that he woud be staying in and allowed her to nap on the rocking chair till he was done. It was almost four o'clock then; she checked the clock, it now read ten after seven. "Morning Al." She stretched, the blanket firmly wrapped around her feet got stretched along with her. "Feeling better?" She smiled a semi-sleepy smile eyes stil being restricted by the 'sleep' still in them.

He nodded. "Yeah, still a little groggy, but I feel great compaired to last night." He attempted to sit up but was met with a great deal of pain in his lower right side. "Ow...What in the world?" He lifted up the blankets and slightly tugged down the hem of the pyjamas he mysteriously aquired while unconcious. "Oh right." He smiled, seeing little strips of steril surgical tape over the stitches. "They cut me open didn't they..." He rested down on the bed and relaxed.

Aria examined the little small four inch cut that was stiched and covered. "Looks sore, I guess that's why they told me to tell you not to try to walk. You might tear the stitches."

He nodded. "That wouldn't be very good at all." He thought for a moment. "Oh, right. Did you call home and tell them where we were at?"

Aria shook her head. "Yes and no...I did try to call but Winry kind of hung up on me...she sounded like she was still half asleep. She thought it was someone I was talking to, rather than me calling, I think."

Al laughed a little. "Sure sounds like something she'd do. Oh...ow." He held his side. "Laughter kind of hurts too. I guess I'll be in here for a day or so."

She thought about it. "Maybe, they haven't really said anything about how long you'll be staying. I Guess they're waiting for your dad to show up. Namely, someone with money." She stood up and folded the blanket and rested it on the arm of the rocking chair. "I should go and call them again, they should be awake by now. Or at least one of them should be up."

Al nodded. "Alright." He smiled that ever cute Elric smile.

Aria smiled in return, it was quite heart warming to see Al back in good health. Even if he had to stay in the hospital for a day or so, it was good to see he was alright.

* * *

"You know what?" Ed and Hohenheim turned their attention to Winry. "I had this weird dream that someone called the house last night looking for Aria." 

Ed laid his juice down on the table. "That wasn't a dream Winry. Don't you remember me asking you who it was?"

She thought about it for a second. "Come to think of it...I don't...I must have been sleep walking...except sleep-answering-the-phone." She laughed.

"Maybe. But someone did call, who was it?" Ed questioned.

Hohenheime sipped his coffee and was about to speak when the phone rang.

Winry stood up. "I'll get it." Se left the room to answer the phone.

"Edward..." Hohenheim began.

"Yeah?"

He thought about it for a second and then continued. "You stayed on the coach last night because Al was sick, right..." Ed nodded. He had snuck back down earlier that morning to throw off anyone who might have thought he snuck back up, in which he did. "If you were down here, how would you know if Winry answered the phone?"

Ed's mind immediatly went into panic mode. "It just that..."

"WHAT!?!?" Winry exclaimed form in the hall. Hohenheim and Ed turned their attention to Winry who had just screamed bloody murder. She skidded in front of the door in her sock feet. "Al's in the hospital!"

Their eyes both widened. '_Saved._' Ed thought to himself.

* * *

"It was nothing serious." Aria coaxed as she guided Ed and his father down the hall. "And he's perfectly fine now." 

"Why didn't you wake any of us?" Ed was slightly annoyed.

She shrugged. "Al told me not to bother you guys."

Ed nodded and smiled slightly. "That does sound like him, alway considerat." Whenever Al was sick when they were kids, he would always sleep in the living room downstairs in fear of disturbing Ed's sleep. It was also less of a walk to the downstairs bathroom if need be, and it was quieter. Al was always so thoughtful, not wanting to inconvience anyone.

"Right here." She pointed to the room. Upon entering Ed let out a blood curteling scream and hid behind the frame. Not a girly screem, but pretty close.

"Good to see you too brother." Al said scarastically as one of the nurses stuck a needle in his arm and evacuated the contents. He snickered a little. "Oh right, you don't like needles."

"There you go, that should get rid of the headache and the pain in your side for a while." The nurse stuck a bandaide on the small bead of blood that formed when she removed the needle. "And don't try to get up on your own, call one of the nurses and they'll help you."

He nodded. "Thanks."

Hohenheim stepped aside to let the nurse go by. Ed moved out of the way too and then quickly slinked into the room. Hoping no one there would remember that he didn't get his twelve-year boster shot, he laid low in Al's room.

Al lay there, quite content in his hospital atire, feeling back to normal.

Ed shivered at the thought of the needle. "I don't know how you stand those things."

Aria looked at him. "You don't like needles I take it." He promptly shook his head, Aria laughed.

Al smiled. "I don't mind them. And she was giving me pain killers for the stitches."

"Stitches? Where at?" Hohenheim inquired.

Al once more tugged the blankets down and then revealed the stitched wound. "It's kind of sore."

Ed gagged a little. "That looks nasty."

The older man nodded. "Agreed. But, at least you're doing better. Oh, and I spoke with the Dr. Heston, she said you can either stay the full week or three days, provided you get plenty of bed rest at home."

Al thought for a moment. "Three days? But then I'll miss the boat trip."

Hohenheim held up a hand. "I've already called Gertrude, she said she'll wait till you're better to take us out."

Al sighed and replaced his blankets. "That's good, I've never been on a cruise before, I'd hate to miss it."

Aria nodded. "Me too. I've never sailed before in my life, I'm all excited about it."

Ed looked over his shoulder. "Yeah...umm, what was it that was in that needle?"

Al thought for a second. "A pain killer, I think it was morphine." He rubbed his eyes. "I actually feel kind of funny."

The nurse that administered Al's shot peeked in the room. "I'd hate to bother you, but visiting hours aren't till after lunch. He does need his rest ."

Hohenheim nodded. "Right, we should let you get some sleep. Do you want us to come back?"

Al nodded. "If it's not too much trouble."

Hohenheim smiled and gave Al a pat on the shoulder. "Alright, let's go." He waved and turned to leave.

Edward, who was at the foot of the bed waved as well. "Later." He smiled and left the room behind his father.

Aria was about to get up and leave when Al caught her attention. "Uh, Aria."

"Yes?" She smiled at him.

He made sure his brother and father left the room completly. "Did...uh, did you figure out in that book what a prostate was? You were reading it for a while, I was just wondering if you looked that up too."

Aria blushed. "Um...well...I did..."

Al stared in anticipation. "What is it then?" He looked slightly confused.

Aria poked her pointer fingers together. "It's...an organ that only males have...and...it." She stalled for time, trying to think of the least embarassing way to say what she needed to say. "It stores seminal fluid before ejaculation." Failed.

Al blushed from head to toe. He averted his vision to another direction to avoid eye contact. "Oh...really...so it's a..."

Aria nodded. "It's an internal sex organ..."

Al laughed slightly, this time, not enough to hurt himself. He looked back to Aria, who's face was red as a beet. "Good to know I suppose. So if they ask me if I want my prostate examined I know to run."

Aria snickered. She composed herself and walked over to his bedside. "I should be going." She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. She stood back up and placed a finger up to her lips. "Shh, don't tell anyone."

Al had a red tint to his face and a slightly shocked expression. He then smiled. "Sure." With that said, he watched Aria turn and leave the room.

* * *

"You still didn't answer my question." Hohenheim looked over to Ed who was walking beside him.

Not making eye contact, he spoke. "What question, I don't recall you asking a question." He lied.

The older man shook his head. "I'm not stupid Edward."

Ed smiled. "Having good self esteeme is a great quality isn't it?"

"Don't change the subject Ed." He narrowed his eyes. "What were you doing in Winry's room?" He asked, a rather bland tone in his voice; almost as if he was waiting for some bull excuse to come at him.

"I wasn't doing a damn thing!" He scolded his father.

"So you admit you were in there?"

"Stop twisting my words! I was not!" He shouted.

Hohenheim pointed at his son. "Really? So what are those marks on your neck from?"

Ed blushed and placed a hand up to the left side of his neck. He looked around and ducked into the bathroom they were passing by. Leaning in to examine himself in the mirror, he noticed the small little indents made from someone's teeth. A couple of them spanned his neck and a little onto his left shoulder. Thinking quickly he came fully back into the hall, only to see his father with his arms crossed arms and a skeptical look on his face. "Their dog bites..."

He shook his head. "I don't think Winry would appreciate you calling her that...just don't let Pinako find out. Lest you want to be chased by an old lady with a shotgun."

Ed, his mouth slightly ajar, watched his father continue walking. '_He doesn't care?_' Shrugging it off, he looked behind him to see if Aria was catching up. Indeed she was.

She speed walked up to him. "Hey, what's going on, you look troubled..."

Ed shook the thought of Pinako pointing a shotgun at him out of his head and repllied. "Uh, nothing. Let's go. Did you eat yet?" They walked along side one another.

She shook her head. "No, hospital food never did appeal to me. I can't wait to get breakfast." She thought for a moment. "By the way." She gave him a sly look. "Why weren't you on the coach when Al and I left last night?"

Ed blushed again slightly. "Not you too." He sighed. "I know you won't tell...I snuck up to Winry's room again."

She laughed a little. "I knew it. You better be careful, you'll get caught."

Ed shrugged. "Apparently...now I'm not all too sure...but I don't think dad cares..."

Aria's eyes widened. "Ooh...he find out?" Ed nodded. "How?" She watched him point to the little marks on his neck.

"Wow...thoses are teeth marks...teehee...kinky." She laughed a little.

He snickered. "Really though."

Aria then thought of something. "Hey Ed...did you and Winry." She poked her pointer fingers together, much like she did whenever she spoke of something that might be considered embarassing. "Have you to...done it yet?" She hated being nosey, but just needed to know.

Ed sighed. "No...sadly." He blushed deeply. "I bought..condoms for us to use...but there were no instructions." Thankfully Aria was roughly the same age as he was, so talking to he wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be. Though that last sentence, he struggled to get it out.

"Really?" She was confused. Looking up ahead to make sure his father was far enough out of listening distance. "Why not talk to a Doctor here. Dr. Heston really helped Al and diagnosed him right away."

Ed's eyes brightened. "Right...I could ask him. Where's Dr. Heston's office?"

Aria shrugged. "Go ask the front desk, they should know."

He nodded and held up his hands in front of his chest. "You go wait for the cab with dad, I'll be right with you guys. I'll go as quickly as possible." With that, he took off in the direction he came from in search of the front desk. They had come in the side door, so the front desk was in the other direction.

Aria smiled. "Safety first I guess." With that, she caught up to Hohenheim.

* * *

"Dr. Heston is out for a few minutes, but if you'd like to wait in the office, that should be fine." The secretary pointed off to her right. "Dr. Heston's office is two doors down." 

"Thank you." Ed said politely and walked off. "This looks about right." Reaching his destination, he knocked on the door, it was slightly ajar. Even though the secretary said the Doctor wasn't in, he saw it polite just to knock just incase. "Hellooo?" He poked his head in, upon seeing an empty room, he enterd and sat down.

He looked around the room and saw the placks on the wall above the desk. "Dr. Kelly Heston." He read out loud. "Looks like he has quite a few degrees." Ed sat down on the chair in front of the desk and immedatly noticed the picture of a man, a woman and a little girl. He smiled. "And he's got a pretty wife too." The taller man in the background had his arm around his wife's side and his free hand on his little girls head. The wife had medium length hair of a dark brown chocolate color and from what he could make out, bright blue eyes.

She was indeed a pretty woman, fit for any rich doctor to be married to.

"Edward?" A woman's voice resonated from the door. "There you are...Alphonse's older brither right?" Just as in the picture, only with her hair tied back, was the exact same woman. Immedatly he thought that maybe him and his wife praticed together.

"Hi. Yeah, I am." He smiled.

"So what's troubleing you today Ed?" She asked as she shut the door behind her.

Ed looked confused. "Um, where's Dr. Heston?" He asked.

She pointed to herself. "I'm Dr. Heston."

Ed, for the second time that day, inwardly panicked. "Wait! Kelly Heston...that's a man's name...isn't it?"

The Doctor nodded her head. "It could be, but Kelly is also a girls name too...is there a problem with that."

Ed felt quite awkward. "Well...I was kind of hoping to talk to a male Doctor." He watched Dr. Heston round her desk and sit down.

"You know Ed, just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I'm any less qualified." She spoke in a slightly offended tone, but with the way society worked, she was somewhat use to being descriminated against.

Ed frantically shook his hands in front of himself. "No, no, no...Of course not. I wouldn't think that for a second...it's just that the question I have...it's kind of awkward to ask a...married woman...Sorry." He lowered his head in shame.

Dr. Heston couldn't help but laugh a little. "I assure you Ed, I'm very professional."

Ed nodded. "You, yes." He pointed to himself. "Me...no..." He sighed.

"Let's try anyway. Remember, anything you say will not leave this room...provided you're not endangering yourself or other's." She coaxed him. "What's on your mind Ed?"

Ed inhaled deeply, a bright red blush taking over his face. "My girlfriend an I...wanted to...be together..." It hurt so bad to speak, Ed was never good talking about things like this. He hadn't felt that awkward since he found that book on human sexuality in Izumi's library. Then having to listen to her talk about what it all meant.

"You mean you want to have sex?" The Doctor needed to clairfy what he was talking about exactly.

If Ed would have been made of glass, he would have shattered. "_Yes..._" His voice cracked a little, clearing his throat, he corrected himself. "Yes..."

"You're still young Ed, so I hope you plan on using protection." She folded her hands on her desk.

Ed nodded and looked up to her, still blushing. "Yes, of course...that's actually why I'm here. I bought condoms...but they didn't have any instructions...and neither of us had a clue how to use them...so she suggested for me to ask a doctor who would know about this stuff. Thus, here I am."

She smiled. "It's good you deicided to come talk to a profesional Ed, it show's maturity." Ed nodded. "I'll show you just how to put one on, it's quite easy."

Ed blushed. "Show me?" He was slightly confused.

Dr. Heston reached into her desk. "Yes, show you. We have educational tools for just such an occasion."

* * *

"Here he comes." Aria looked out the cab window. 

"What was he doing?" Hohenheim questioned.

Aria had to think quickly, too quickly even for her to come up with something creative. "Not sure." She failed to cover for him.

Ed, in a sprint disguised as a fast walk, rounded the car and got in behind the driver. "Alright, let's go." He said quickly.

"What were you in there for?" Hohenheim questioned form the front seat.

Ed looked at Aria who in turn shrugged, he was hoping she covered for him, but to no avail. He could see her mouthing the word 'sorry'. "Nothing in piticular...kind of private though." He folded his arms.

Hohenheim peeked in the rear view mirror at his son. "Winry's not pregnant is she?"

"NO! She isn't!!!" Ed screamed. "She can't be..." He said with a slighlty disapointed tone. Ed could hear the cabby snickering. "You stay out of this." He bit his bottom lip.

Hohenheime snickered along side the cab driver. "I'll take your word for it Ed. We can go now." With that the cabby pulled away.

Driving only for a few minutes, Aria leaned in close to Ed so his father couldn't hear her. "So...how did it go, did you find out what you needed to?"

Ed nodded. "Yes...and I'd rather not talk about it." He whispered back.

She was intrigued. "Now you have to tell me...what happened?"

"First off." He was still whispering. "You neglected to tell me Dr. Heston, was a woman."

Aria held a hand over her mouth, not only in shock, but to stifle a giggle. "Oops...sorry."

Ed continued. "Things were going fine until she took a 'visual aid' out of her desk to show me just how to 'properly put on a mechanical contraceptive'." He said with his fingers making quote marks in the air.

Aria tried to stifle the laughter but she couldn't help it. "Wait...you mean, she had a modle of a..." She said through a giggle.

"Yes! She had one in her desk." Ed was disturbed.

At that moment, she broke and began a rather loud kind of laughter. "That's wonderful Ed!" She said, keeling over in laughter.

"It's not funny!" Ed said, a blush creeping back up on his face.

Aria nodded and calemd herself. "You're right, you're right." There was a few moment's of silence and then, once more, she broke. "It's hilarious!" And thus proceeded to laugh. Obviously, neither of them were whispering anymore.

"Did I miss somthing?" Hohenheim asked from the front seat.

Aria fanned herself with her hand, still laughing. "Probably." She said, whiping a tear from her eye. She went back to whispering. "So she actually put it on the little modle?"

Ed nodded. "Yes, I said...glad to see you're being so mature about all this." He folded his arms tightly around his sides. Aria continued to giggle.

* * *

She probably wouldn't have found it so funny if not for Ed's reaction to the whole thing. It's always funnier when someone get's hurt isn't it?! But that's what makes Ed so lovable. :) 

Yes, the random ideas I wanted to put in but didn't...

-I was going to make Hohenheim be more of a bar-go'er  
Reason: I didn't really think it would be in his character...and having him sleep around would make the whole 'relationship with Ed' thing just go out the window. Him replacing his dead wife with a floozy wouldn't be nice too.

-I was going to have Riza marry Maria  
Reason: Now, I'm not homophobic or anything...but it's just that I've never seen it done, and I wanted to have a little diversity with the marraiges. But Poor Roy, he'd be all alone if not for her...or rather going to bed every night with a woman he didn't love. Also...I don't think it would have been that popular, nor would it have gone over well in the fic itself. I just didn't really NEED it to be there, so I just didn't put it there.

-I was going to, at one point, kill a main character  
Reason: Too soon for that...and the only two characters I could think to kill was Aria or Cathrine...and then if I did that, ShadowCloud would have hunted me down and slaughter me, and poor Havoc would have comitted suicide...and that's just not a fun thing to write about anyway. Hehe...ahem... That, and once more, I didn't really have to. It's suppose to be based around romance, not tragedy. For now...(shifty eyes)

-Give someone a drug addiction  
Reason: Once more, didn't really need it. I was going to make Al start to smoke pot, just to help him regain the weight he lost while stuck in the gate...but I don't think it would have been in character for him to do so...yeah...though it would have been funny to write Al baked out his mind. "The kitty's so soft, it feels like it's made out of love and happiness." (Proceeds to rub cat on face and giggle) ...Anyway...we'll just leave that one be. Al can spar with Ed and drink protine shakes to gain weight. The natural way!

-Make Roy gay!  
Reason: 1. Roy's not gay 2. Havoc was taken 3. Overdone!!! 4. All of the above. Ok, if I was ever posessed enough to write Roy gay, he'd have to be with Havoc. Cause Havoc is just one big piece of sexy! Aside from the smoking thing, he's perfect for him. Nor am I fan of Yaoi...so there. XP

-Roy and Riza get divorced  
Reason: Aww...I couldn't do that. They're too sexy together! XD That, and I really wanted Roy to SOMEDAY have offspring. He's gonna be 29 on his next birthday, perfect time to be having kids.

There you have it. All the ideas I remember that scrapped to keep you guys happy...right, ShadowCloud...don't worry! I won't kill her...now put the knife down...please...

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! Leave a review for me please! I wanna know what you think! And yes, to my random reviewer, I will add in more romance from here on out.

Review please :)  
_**VVVV**_


	31. Chapter 31 First Time

Black and Red Rose, Caitlin Alexander, Chiyo Ishida, Dark Angel Maybe, ElementChild of the Realm, FinalFantasyChick178, Fullmetal Archer, InuYash'sLover, InusTgirlDreamer, KaldarBrokenhorn, Letishia, MST3K Forever, NinjaAngel, The Figgy, Wing Zero Alchemist, adri66215, gwenhyfar1472, inubaby2, wolf in the mist

I took out the people who review regularly, cause well...I know you're reading it. But to all you who I named...how many of you even read the fic? Like...do you read and not review? Is the alert message just rotting in an unused inbox? Or are you just deleting it?

Not that I mind either way. I just would like to know who's reading what. That's all. :) Drop a review this chapter, let me know you guys are alive! XD Hey, it's well worth it, there's a lemon in here!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 31 – First Time** (OMG, finally!...Sorry.)

* * *

"A four hour drive." Hohenheim complained. 

"Yes. But it's for a good cause." Pinako washed a plate and handed it to Ed who dried it and placed it int he cupboard.

"It's for a dog's funeral, can't you just send a card?" He sulked.

"No." She continued. "This dog caught a burglar trying to ransack their house while they were out, and saved her daughter when she was drowning. She's been there for them. Also, she was a source of income in her earlier years, she's a pure breed you know, her puppies sold for thousands." The little old lady raised a good argunment.

"But I don't wanna drive for four hours." A loud crack was heard in the kitchen just then. Hohenheim's protests were met with a swift broom in the face on Pinako's part.

"You know, for a grown man, you whine a lot." She shook her head and removed the broom. Hohenheim in turned rubbed his face where she had struck. Ed laughed as his misfortune; sadly, his cockiness was also met with the same fate, broom to the face. "And you should have more respect for your elders."

Ed brushed the broom out of his face. "Whatever. I'm done here." He tossed the dry rag on the counter. Al normally helped dry the dishes, but he was incapaciated in the hospital, so Ed was stuck picking up the slack in Al's place.

"Fine." The older man gave in. "When's she sending the car?"

Pinako dried her hands on her appron and looked at the clock. "She sent it by train last night, so the delivery men should get here by six. We're to leave right away. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning."

Hohenheim rolled his eyes. Still thinking it was kind of pointless, he figured doing a favor like this, he would get something in return. "Am I going to get paid for this?"

"Well..." Pinako began and smiled. "She did say that I could keep the car...but what use do I have for it. I guess I could give it to you."

The older blond man's mouth fell open. "What?!"

"What?" Ed followed up.

"Yes. I said the dog brought her wealth. Did you think that was the only one she owned? Mindy, as she was named, was their favorite for nineteen years out of all the dogs they raised. That's why they're holding a small funeral in her honor. And Den is coming with us."

Hohenheim looked down at Den, cheerfully wagging his tail at the mention of his name. "What for?"

"It was Den's mother...though Den isn't a pure breed, they wanted to invited him and myself anyway." Pinako walked to the dog and pet him on the head. "I'm sure he'll love the trip."

Hohenheim sighed. "A four hour car ride with a dog."

Ed piped up. "And Den." Bam! Broom in the face, once again. Only this time, it was thrown.

"You'll do good to behave yourself while I'm gone. I'm leaving you kids in charge of the house. Though I'm sure I'll probably regret doing so." Pinako sighed. "But no matter, I need to go to this and someone needs to watch the house."

Ed brushed his face off and then placed his hands on his hips. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be the exact same without you."

"Oh, and how's that?" She questiond, holding something heavy in hand, just in case he delivered a snide remrk.

"I just ignore you most of the time anyway, so it's like your not here even when you-" Bam! Kettel to the forehead. "--are here..." He finished his sentence as the kettle fell to the floor.

"Mind your mouth. Now I'm going to pack a few of my things." With that said, she headed up the stairs.

Hohenheim snickered. "Was that really worth it?" He questioned his oldest.

Ed picked up the kettel off the floor and laid it on the counter. "You bet." He smirked.

* * *

It wasn't long before the car showed up, via towe, to the front yard. Hohenheim couldn't believe his eyes. Such a fine vhecial, and all he had to do was sit through a funeral for Den's poor deceased doggy mother. Ed whistled in delight. "That's a pretty cool car." He turned to his father. "So is this worth the trip?" Ed questioned. 

"You bet." Quoting Ed from earlier, he smirked.

Ed was a little caught off guard with that. But in return, he smiled warmly. "Take it easy." Ed said as he leaned over the rail on the front porch. Winry and Aria then came out the front door to see them off as well.

Hohenheim looked at Ed, then to Winry, then back to Ed. "You too."

With that said, he went around the car and proudly sat in the front seat. Pinako was right next to him. The car started up with a purr. Den, who was laying down in the back, lifted his head and watched as they pulled away down the road.

Winry waved as the car left the driveway. "Hmm...what did your father mean by that. Take it easy..." She repeated, lips puffed out.

"I think it means he doesn't want us to do a lick of work...or, that's the explanation I'm going with." He proceeded to wrap his arms around Winry from behind. He snuggled in close and rubbed the side of his face against hers. She was so soft and warm, he just loved the feel of being near her.

Winry turned around and wrapped her arms around him and nuzzeled noses with him. "Ed...now that we're alone... Tonight, do you think we could..." She tightened her grip a little and there was a slight sway to her hips. "...you know."

Ed smirked and leaned in and kissed her. "I don't see why not." His romantic side shone through like anything. It wasn't often he showed it, but it felt good to know that he was safe to be all, as he called it, 'sappy' around her and not be judged harshly. He kissed her again, their lips pressing up against each other roughly, but not too rough, playfull even.

"Great! Dinner and a show." Aria said as she bit into the last half of her sandwich. "My presence may not be very commanding, but I don't like getting ignored." Slightly offended, she spoke.

Ed and Winry quickly seperated themselves from the embrace, a slight look of embarassment hung on them. Winry piped up. "Sorry Aria, you were so quiet."

Ed backed her up. "Yeah...I thought you had left already."

She shook her head and jumped down off the railing onto the porch. "I wanted to eat first." She smiled. "Don't worry, I'll leave you two alone soon enough." With that said, she walked into the house. "I just called my cab a few minutes ago." She yelled from inside.

Ed smiled and looked at Winry, they went inside the house after a polite kiss on the lips.

"So, Aria...why are you spending the night at the hospital?" Winry slyly questioned, nudging her in the shoulder.

She blushed a little, but smiled just the same. "I was talking to Al a while ago, and he said he was a little nervous spending the first night in the hospital alone. He's never spent a night there before, it's normal to be a little scared."

"Or is the ploy he's using." Ed followed up.

Aria shrugged. "Either way. Whether he's faking being scared or not, I'm not going to refuese him." She heard a honking outside. "That was quick. I'm off; see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Winry waved as Aria headed for the door.

"See ya." Ed copied her actions.

* * *

The hours passed and ten o'clock rolled around. Ed and Winry had been listening to the radio for the past hour or so. Every night, there would be a raido show that followed a different theme. That night, it just happened to be a romance story. Not one paticularly intriuging to Edward, or Winry for that matter, but the voice acting was very well done. Also, the fact that it was conviently a '_romantic_' raido show, it only helped to foreshadow the events of the night. 

Ed, with Winry safely curled up on the coach in front of him, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "We should get to bed now." He said as the credits were being read by the narrator.

She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the tip of his nose. "Sure." She smiled and rose to her feet. Winry walked to the stairs with Ed following close behind her. Upon entering her room, Winry went stright for the dresser and reached underneath. Grabbing hold of the little box, she tossed it straight to Edward.

"You're the expert." She said with a smile.

He laid the box down on her nightside table as Winry walked over. "Right before we actually do it, is when you're suppose to put it on."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat on the bed. "Are you sure?" She leaned down and kissed him.

He nodded. "Yeah, it might tear...and a hole would kind of ruin the whole idea behind it all together." He spoke as Winry pushed him back on the bed and perched herself right over his hips.

Resting some of her weight down on him. "It would, wouldn't it?" She leaned down and kissed him. Her lips gently pressed themselves up against his in a loving way.

He smirked a little and, with great ease, flipped Winry onto the bed and hovered right above her. His arms were a little shaky as he supported himself and he had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. Constantly telling himself '_If not now, when?_', he reamined calm. Though this was a big deal. He heard that you never forget your first time, so he realy wanted to make this one count.

Leaning in he kissed her collar bone and then her neck and then slipped past her cheek to her mouth. Bitting slightly down on her lower lip. "You shouldn't bite me so hard." He spoke through his gently clenched teeth. "It's starting to leave marks."

"Aah." She moaned a little, the pain from his bite was quite exciting. "Sorry." She bit back a little.

"Hey." He said playfully as he pinned her down fast and sunk his teeth into her neck, not hard, but enough to make her lay still. "You nervous." He came up and looked at her expression.

She had a wide smile on her face and a glowing light that lit up her eyes. "Maybe..." She placed a hand on either side of his face. "But if not now, when?"

Ed smiled. "I've been saying the same thing to myself for a while now." He kissed her once again and then, turned her body so that her head was on her pillow. Just like a night ago, when they had free time together, it was the same feeling in the air. Nervous, but really excited. "And remember, if you want to stop, just say so...ok?" He comforted her.

Winry nodded her head. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

Edward leaned his head down and kissed the bare part of Winry's chest. He slowly slid his hand under the hem of her shirt and lifted it up till it reached her shoulders; upon doing so, Winry lifted her hands above her head, allowing her shirt to be removed and tossed aside. She arched her back a little and reached a hand behind to undo the clip of her bra.

He smiled as he watched the straps fall down to her elbows and then completly gone. Ed massaged her bare chest gently with both hands. She had mentioned before that she liked the feel of the automail, so he was more than happy to oblige.

Winry quickly snapped herself out of her daze and reached for the collar of Ed's overshirt, then sliding it down off his arms and onto the bed. He had on a black sleevless shirt underneath and she could see his auto mail as plain as day. Her window was open and the moon was shining in such a way, it was possible to see everything in the room. There was no need for lights.

She then grabbed hold of the bottom of the back of his shirt and tugged it up over his head. She snickered, he looked stuck. He laughed a little and tugged the shirt down over his head in the front and then off his arms all the way.

He placed each one of his strong arms down on either side of her and stared at her with an almost hungry look in his eyes. "Is this really what you want?" He said in a husky voice, a sweet, lusty smile on his face.

The tone of his voice sent shivers down her spine. He never spoke to her in such a way before, it was quite appealing. "Of course." She replied in turn, not a hesitation to be noted.

Content with the answer he kissed her again, lightly sucking on her bottom lip. He then backed up, and sat with Winry's legs on either side of him. Ed ran his hands down her bare chest and then to the button that held her pants on. Undoing it, and the zipper too, he tugged the pants gently out from beneath her and then, slipping under one of her legs, to avoid the pants, he slid them right off her ankles. Allowing them to fall to the floor, he took hold of the closest leg and kissed her ankle and all the way down her leg.

He kissed all the way to her inner thigh, all the while she was watching, then placing a finger in a very sensitive area and rubed back and forth gently. Winry murmmered in a low tone. Smirking, he moved his hands under the sides of her panties and slid them off her legs and tossed them onto her disgarded pants.

Edward swallowd the lump stuck in his throat. This was the farthest they'd ever gone. That initial nervousness crept back up on him.

Winry sat up and reached for his belt. Carefully undoing the buckle, the button and the zipper, she slid them down a little, rubbing her hands against his sides, teasing him slightly. He couldn't help but smile, he had never felt such an intense feeling before, it was almost overwhelming.

Carefully he manurvered and removed his black jeans and boxers all in on movement. There he knelt, above her, the only peice of clothing he had on was the tie that held his hair back.

Her bare thighs rubbed against the outside of his legs, her arms reaching up and draped around his shoulders, they way her kisses touched his lips, everything felt so perfect. Looking up, Ed reached for the little box and took one of the small packages out of it. He bent in such a way that Winry couldn't quite see what he was doing, not that se needed to see, she knew what was going on.

"There...I think that's right." He turned his attention back to Winry, laying in wait in the bed in front of him. "You ready?" He questioned her again.

She nodded. "Yes." She reassured him again and smiled. "Just be careful...I heard this hurts a little the first time."

He nodded and then tilted his head down to look at the gap between them. "Uh...maybe a little guidance would help."

Winry nodded and reached her hand down an it brushed up against him, she knew this because he sighed. Guiding him downward to where he needed to be, he gaind his barrings. "There..."

Edward once more swalloed a lump in his throat and then, with slight hesitation, he moved his body forward. Not in a violent manner, but a forcable manner. He penetrated her. He moaned slightly as he moved his body back, exiting her briefly, but coming back in with the same force. Winry let out a cry, not that of pain, it was undisguingishable.

He didn't know if he had hurt her or not. "Are you alright?" He could see her nodding, holding on tightly to the blankets beneath her and trying not to scream from the looks of it. "You sure?" He paused.

Winry opened her eyes and looked at him. "Don't stop." She said, slightly annoyed.

Happy to please, he continued. Constantly thrusting back and forth, her cries got louder and louder. Thnakully there was no one home, so it was ok to not care about the noise. They stayed in that moment, making love for the very first time in either of their lives.

The time passed, Edward was beginning to become short of breath, it had to have been seven or eight minutes since they started. Not that he minded, but things were going to soon come to an end.

Just then, she lifted her legs up to her chest, or rather, as close to her chest as they could get. To aid in this, Ed wrapped his left arm around her leg to hold it in place. It not only seemed to make her feel better, but it also gave him more room to go in farther. He smirked and decided to try something a little harder. He then proceeded to go rather rough, not to hurt her, only to see if she liked it.

Indeed she did. The words '_more_' and '_harder_' every so often brethlessly escaped her lips. And then, she said his name. "Edward..." Only low, but ever so beautiful.

He then felt it, that feeling inside, it was building to the point of no return. "Aah..." He allowed a low moan to escape his lips. Ed's motions sped up and his breathing became frantic. And finally, after much hard work, he released. His body arched upwards slightly, held there for a moment, and then fell back down.

He let go of her leg and rested his body on top of hers. Panting and gasping for air. His body still pulsed with pleasure as he lay there on top of her.

"Ed..." She breathed deep. "You still alive?" She said in a joking manner, still trying to retain some oxygen. She felt his head nodding on her shoulder where it lay.

After discarding the un-needed article and cleaning up the bed a little, Ed lay next to Winry, bare body right against hers. He held her tight, his left arm laying flat out on the bed with her head resting on it, his automail slung carefully over her side and his legs gently wrapped with hers. It couldn't be more perfect.

They lay there in silence, holding one another carefully and tenderly. Ed's heart, witch felt as though it would have beaten up and out of his chest earlier, had finally calmed down and rested to a slow beat, Winry's the same. Such an intense rush of emotion, it took it's tole on the two young lovers.

Winry then lifted her head up and she thought for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Ed questioned, half asleep.

She shook her head. "Nothing...just...what was the real reason you think Al asked Aria to go to the hospital with him? She said '_I'm not going to refuese him._'"

Ed thought for a second. "You don't think he was doing the same thing we were...do you?"

She thought again and rested her head down. "Maybe...I don't really think he would ask her for that."

Ed shrugged. "I'm not sure then...maybe he _was_ just nervous...I'll have to ask him tomorrow." Ed was going to visit him in the hospital the next day, so he made sure to remember to make a point of asking him. Ed was well know for having alterior motives, it must have been a family trait.

* * *

"Hey...Aria..." Al spoke softly, his small voice didn't echo at all in the small hospital room. 

"Yeah?" She quietly replied from her cot that had been placed only a couple feet away from Al's bed.

"D-do you think anyone died in this room?" He questioned, a frightened tone in his voice.

"I'm not sure..." She said slightly frightened. They then quickly hid both their heads under the covers. '_Think happy thoughts!_' Aria coaxed herself.

* * *

I would like to take this time to tell you a little about Mindy.

Mini-Moopers, her nic-name, was not a pure breed. Rather, she was a chahuahua, weiner dog, poodle mix...needless to say, she looked like a mini halfway-to-knee-high beer keg with scrawny legs an big glassy eyes. Dark black/brown in color with a white belly. She indeed did live to the grand ol' age of 19 though. Around the end she got a bad rash, one that hurt her deeply, and not having the money to buy her medication, we needed to put her down.

I loved Mindy, she was a good dog...and I don't like dogs...so that's telling you something. If I had the chance I would have had a funeral for her. Her memory crossed my mind the other day, and that's where I got the idea for the chapter. Mindy really did look like a VERY mini version of Den. That cute expression on her face and everything. Thus the idea was born.

Anyway, enough nostalgia. Drop a review and tell me what you think of the chappie!  
Let me know you're still kinckin' out there:)


	32. Chapter 32 Truth

GOOD NEWS!  
I made a picture of Aria! And it's super cute! XD Go to my deviant art page and you'll see her. And if you don't feel like doing that, just type in Aria Hall in the search bar, she's the first pic that comes up. Yea!

Anyway, anothe chapter done! I wish this one was more exciting and a little longer...but just so you know, a big plot point's get mentioned in this one. And don't worry, it's not quite what you think it is...hehe...

Anyway, tell me what you think, as usual. :) And I would once again love to thank all my reviewers last chapter! I'm so happy you guys are alive a kicking! Thanks for the encouragment!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 32 - Truth

* * *

**

Ed's eyes flickered open and he was greeted with the most pleasent of sights one could be greeted by in the morning. He smiled as he peeked over Winry's shoulder at her cute sleepy face. He looked at the clock and it read nine-thirty. "Winry..."

She stirred and rolled over, still laying on his left arm. "Morning." She said through a yawn. "What time is it?" Ed grabbed the battery powered clock off her dresser that was behind him and held it out for her too see. "Already? We should get up before anyone get's home."

Ed replaced the clock. "Yeah. I need to get a shower anyway." She sat up in bed, her hair dangeling in front of her bare chest. Ed had never really noticed it before, but her hair was getting really long.

She thought for a moment. "Me too..." They looked at one another. They smiled.

* * *

Aria folded up her blankets and placed them in the center of the cot and then, withthe pull of a lever underneath, the bed folded in two, trapping her blankets in between. "There we go." 

Al smiled. "I think the staff would have done that."

She shrugged. "It's no problem, from the sounds of it, it looks like they need help." For the past ten minutes there had been a ruckas out in the hall. Not wanting to get in the way, Al and Aria stayed quiet in his room. Apparently, the one making the noise was some escape mental patient.

Al's leg tapped against his sheets. Noticing he was fidigity, Aria placed a hand on his quivering foot. "You nervous or something?"

He shook his head. "No...I just need to go...and there's no nurse to help me walk to the bathroom."

Aria smiled. "I don't mind helping you there." It seemed as though she made him blush. "They said you could start walking today, so I imagine you could at least stand up."

Al was hesitant. "I guess...but I have to drag this thing with me though...I should just wait." Al tugged at the tube that led to the needle tipped end which disappeared into his hand. He had the IV since the night before, but until that point he hadn't been bothered by it.

"It's on wheels." Aria noted.

He leaned over the edge of the bed and noticed that it, in fact, was on wheels. "...Mmm...I guess then..."

"Here's an idea." She pressed the latch on the side of Al's bed to make the protective railing come down and tugged his blankets off. "If it hurts too much to stand up, then we'll wait for a nurse."

Thinking about it for a minute, he nodded. "Alright." Very slowly, Al moved his body into a sitting position, and then, with great caution, and a little help from Aria, he slung his legs over the side of the bed.

"You ok?" She asked, holding on tightly to his arm.

He nodded. "So far...now, just to get to the floor is the tricky part." Indeed it was. Hospital beds were always high off the ground to avoid the patients coming in contact with any dirt that might have been on the floor, not that there looked like there was any. Safety always came first. Al slid down from the bed as carefully as he could, and then, with a soft 'pat' sound, his bare feet connected to with the floor. "Ow." He keeled over in pain. He was still a little tender from the operation.

"Careful." She held on to him tightly. "Just little baby steps, here." She linked her arm with his to give him support. Taking the IV in her free hand, she wheeled it along beside them.

"..." He stepped carefully in the direction of the bathroom. Quite successfully, he made it half way there when the ruckas in the hall too a turn for the worst.

"GET HIM!" They heard in the hall.

"What in the world is going on out there?" Aria tilted her head to try and see out the door. Upon doing so, a tall lanky figure, wearing a hospital gown, ran in front of the door.

"Aria!" He said her name. Aria stepped in front of Al in defence, still giving him support though. It seemed he had given the nurses the slip for a few short seconds. "You can't be seen! You're the key to summoning that demon! You can't be here!" Just then, two dark skinned men in white hospital scrubs came up as if from no where and took his arms. Though they were in work attire, their presence was quite ominous.

"Come on. Back to your cell." He looked into the room. "Terribly sorry."

Aria nodded her head as the two men began to drag the crazy man back to his cell. He kicked as screamed. "NO! Aria! You can't be found! Run! RUN!" Afterwards, he just screamed incohearently until they had taken him right out the side door. Even still, the man's voice rang in her ears and resonated throughout the hall ways.

"Who was that?" She asked herself quietly, not really directing the question at anyone. "How did he know me?" Aria was quite puzzeled by the whole thing.

"Uh...I'm not sure. There's a ward for the insane around here somewhere. He probably snuck out when everyone was let outside for some air." He nudged her forward. "I hope I'm not sounding selfish or anything...but I really need to go."

Aria snapped out of her daze. "Oh! Sorry Al, let's move." With that, they continued the walk to the small, private room that was connected to Al's room.

He grabbed onto the frame of the door with one hand and the IV with the other and turned his head toward Aria. "I think I can get it from here. There's safety rails all along the walls." He held onto one and closed the door.

"Don't lock the door, if you fall, I won't be able to help you." She tapped a finger on the door.

"Right." He said from the otehr side.

Not wanting to be rude, she moved away from the door and over to Al's bed. The room was quite big, and judging from the hook-up's on the walls, another three beds could be fit into the room at one time. She was happy Al had gotten his own room, privace was a good thing. She took hold of his blankets and flipped them up and then right back down. Repeating the same actions a few times, she straightened up Al's bed and flipped the blankets down to make a dog ear in the fabric, enough so that Al could easily hop right bakc in bed.

"Are you two ok...where's Alphonse?" A nurse came into the room.

Aria turned around. "He's in the bathroom."

The nurse looked at the door and back to Aria, a smile on her face. "Good, you got him walking." She approaced Aria. "That man who came in here, he didn't hurt either of you, did he?"

Aria shook her head. "No, he was just talking, he didnt' do anything."

The nurse looked side to side. "Did he know your name?"

Aria then became a little frightened. "...no..."

The nurse nodded. "Good." She laid a hand on her shoulder then turned to exit the room. "Let me know if Alphons needs anything."

"Wait..." Aria spoke. The nurse gave Aria her attention. "What was his name?"

The nurse thought about it for a moment. "Michel A'Endemrots. Why, your're not going to press charges are you?"

Aria shook her head. "No...no reason...just curious." With that said, the nurse left. Slowly the bathroom door opened. Aria turned her head towards the opening door.

"What was that about?" He asked, clinging onto the door frame and the little wheely pole.

"It was just a nurse asking if that crazy guy hurt us." Aria took his arm again and began to lead him back to his bed.

"How come you didn't tell her that he knew your name?" Al was confused.

Aria thought for a moment. "I don't know...I just have a strange feeling about it, I want to find out some stuff on my own first."

Al smiled. "I never took you to be the adventerous type."

Aria smirked. "I'm just full of surprises I guess."

* * *

Hohenheime stepped out of the car and stretched. "Please, no more driving today." He yawned. 

Pinako let the dog out of the back seat, his paws hit the ground and he was off. A four hour car drive left him warm and thirsty. "Fine, we have enough food to last till tomorrow. I'll spare you till then."

"Good." He closed the car door. "I'm taking a nap. The five a.m. funeral, then the dog choier and then the four hour car ride home, I need a nap."

Pinako snickered. "Getting worn out in your old age?" She said in a very snide tone.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't think so." Hohenheim opened the door, paused, then turned around. "At least...I hope not." Having said that, he enterd the house. Making a b-line for his room, he headed right up the stairs. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the bathroom door opened wide, revealing Ed and Winry, both of which were now wearing clothes, with soaking wet hair. Which, in Hohenheim's mind, added up to one thing.

Ed, for the third time in two days, panicked. This time, only for a moment. He looked at Winry who stood sheepishly behind him and then back to his father who was trying to utter even one word but failing.

He inhaled deeply, pointed a finger at his dad and spoke. "It's exactly what it looks like."

Hohenheime shook his head, a slight proud smile on hsi face. "I'm going to lay down. One of you...dry your hair." With that said, he disappeared into his room.

Ed smiled and looked back at Winry who was confused as ever. "I didn't think that would work."

Winry placed her hands on her hips. "What? Telling the truth?"

Ed nodded. "It's never worked that well in the past." Triumphantly, he marched right into Winry's room, with Winry following closly behind.

* * *

"She knows." The old man said to Raul.

"What? How does she know?" He said, slightly angered.

"He told her."

"You mean...damn." He turned back to Felix who was strapped to the chair in the middle of the dark room.

The old shorter man rubbed his knuckels. "When will he cease his meddeling...don't worry...I know it's not too late...she won't figure it out in time...will she?"

Raul smiled and looked down to his shorter friend. "Not if I have my way about it." He cocked his head and cracked his neck. "He'll more than likely be ready to go in less time than I thought." He placed his large hand around Felix's jaw and tilted his heaed toward his own. "One's with a lot to lose are easier to break." He allowed his head to fall back in place. "Don't worry, we'll get 'em."

The old man nodded, he scraggly, wavy hair draped in his face. "Excelent...carry on. I must see what actions we should take next. Please do not disturbe my meditation."

Raul nodded. "Not a problem sir." He watched the older man walk out of the room. Felix stirred and tried to lift his head.

"Will you take me to her?" He spoke in a voice that shounded much like a whisper.

The tall black man smiled and then kneeled down. "Of course...you just have to fufill our needs as well."

"Can I get her back." He asked, sounding quite weak.

"All in good time..." Raul reached for the needle beneath his chair that sat right in front of Felix. "All in good time..."

* * *

As for that bit with the crazy guy and Aria, let me assure you, it's NOT quite what you think. I'm not going to give Aria some "super alchemic powers" so that she can summon stuff...no...nothing like that at all. Just wait, it'll all work out in the end.

Predictions are welcomed...if you can muster any. ;)

OH! Quick funny story. Someone on Neopets looked at my pic that I have on my homepage...and they said I looked 13...(Dies of laughter) Sorry...I just thoguht it was amusing.

Review please! XD (Youknowyouwana)


	33. Chapter 33 Revelation

Now this chapter...this one made me happy. It was longer, well written, and it gives you insight on what's happeneing with the escape lunitic and the crazy guy who confronted Aria in the hospital. I'm was so happy with the way it turned out, I almost made it too long. What can I say, I was on a role.

Anyway, I'll go back into my romance thing soon enough, just as soon as I get THIS obsticle out of the way. I've got an even bigger obsticle planned for everyone. :) I is evil.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 33 - Revelation**

* * *

She had given Al a hug before she left the hospital, but still, Aria couldn't still shake the guilt over leaving him there alone. '_Don't worry, I don't mind._' He had said with a smile as he sent her along her way. Aria smiled and watched the scenery go by. Though she least expected it, the thought of that crazy man crossed her mind again. How he knew her was beyond her reasoning and the fact that he told her to run made her worry all the worse. 

Had he already known about Felix? What was his connection? Was he some profit? Or just a lone nut who overheard her and Alphonse speaking? So many questions that had no viable answers, she was overwhelmed. Even still, there was hope.

Edward had access to books and files that she could never hope to touch, so if she found nothing on her own, extending a hand to the "Full Metal Alchemist" seemed like a resonable thing to do. She considered him a friend, a good friend, and everyone knows, friends don't mind helping one another out.

The taxi cab pulled up along side the Rockbell house and stopped with a jolt causing her to snap back into reality. She extended her hand with the correct amount of fair and passed it to the cab driver. "Thanks dear." He said with a smile.

"No problem." Aria returned the geusture and extied the cab. A quick gust of wind blew past her, luckily she caught her dress in enough time to avoid giving the cabby a tip as well. Her red hair caught in the breeze whipped up and down, almost if it was struggeling to get away. Turning her face towards the wind, she removed all the hair from her eyes. Without further incedent, she quickly hopped up the stairs and right into the kitchen.

'_You'll never see him lift a finger._' Al had said to her last night. '_At least, not without a fuss._' He had topped it off. But there was Edward, wrist deep in dish water, scrubbing away.

"I guess Al had you pegged wrong." She said, closing the door.

Ed, who had been staring off into space out the kitchen window, turned in surprise. "Aria? I didn't hear you come in..." He thought about what she just said. "Wait, what did Al say?" He said with a slight annoyance in his voice. Though it was apparent he was slightly irritated, he had this smile on his face that didn't seem to fade.

Aria stepped up along side him and grabbed a clean dry rag from the drawer. "He said you detest house work."

He smiled and placed another dish on the drain rack. Apparently, he had only been at been at this for a short while now, the dishes hadn't draind completly and there was only a few there. "Yeah...but I've got nothing better to do. Winry's taking care of a patient in the garage, I was bored, so I started doing these."

She smiled. "You did this of your own free will?" She dried and placed a cup up into the cabbinet.

Ed leaned toward her. "Dont' tell anyone, I don't want them to expect this again. I just needed time to think, that's all."

Aria smirked and gave him a sly glance. "Think? ...about last night?"

Ed stood up straight and a blush crept over his face.

"I knew it." She giggled.

Though he knew that Aria was fully aware about what happened, he couldn't help but feel a little embarased. "Don't jump to conclusions, what makes you think anything happened?"

Aria nudged him in the elbow. "Ed, it's written all over your face."

Ed smirked even wider. "I guess...what were you doing last night then?" He grilled her as if he knew something had happened to her last night.

Aria snickered. "Nothing like that. Al and I just talked. Then, as the sun was going down, he started wondering if there were ghosts in the hospital."

Edward shook his head. "That's Al. I should have known, he's always been terrified of ghost stories since we were kids. To think, I thought he might have had alterior motives to inviting you last night."

She looked at him funny. "What do you mean?"

He placed another plate on the rack to drain and then plunged his hands into the sink once again. "I've never seen him take a shine to anyone like you before. He really likes you, and I thought he just might have wanted to...well...you know, do something other than talk." Ed shrugged. "I suppose it would be just like Al to want to spend time with you and not expect anything like that in return."

Aria couldn't help but smile. "He is really nice..."

Though she was smiling, Ed couldn't help but notice that she had a sad undertone to her expression. Ed became concerned. "We'll keep you safe till those papers come in."

The young red haired girl became shocked. "You must be a mind reader..." Her mind then flashed to the crazy guy. "That's right." She turned to him. "Ed, when I was in the hospital with Al this morning, some guy who escaped form, I guess you'd call it, the 'crazy ward' ran up to me. He knew my name and he told me to run. Obviously he was a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but the fact that he knew me really creepe me out; espically since I've never seen him before in my life. His name was...Michel...End...em...endem...damn...stupid brain!" She frustrated herself with her bad memory for names.

"Michel A'Endemrots?" Ed said without a hitch.

"Yes! That wa--...how did you know it?" She dried another plate and put it away.

Ed pulled the drain in the sink and allowed the water to slowly drain out. "He was..." He tossed the plug for the sink aside. "...a novelist who use to live in central. He was actually not origianlly called by the last name A'Endemrots. His original name was Michel Nostradamus. He changed his name, but only ended up just flipping some of the letters around to try and throw people off. It didn't work, but still..." Ed took the hand towel from the side of the sink and proceeded to dry his hands. "Apparently, some poeple said that in his books, he predicted the future, but it was obvious the guy was crazy. Talking about demons form the underworld, an apocalypse. After a while he just cracked under all the pressure of so many non-believers...then they locked him up."

Ed stood up straight and shook his automail to make sure all the water was dried. "Though there was one thing he wrote about that made some sence to me." Aria gave him her full attention. "He worte about a gate. One that led to another paralell world. Much like this one, but different in many ways, like, not having alchemy and what not. He called himself a profit, and that he could predict the future. He said that, it wasn't who he was in this world, rather that's who he was on the other side of the gate. For the longest time I had no clue about what he was talking about. And then I saw it for myself."

Ed shrugged. "Regardless, what the guy wrote about was true, so that gives him some credibility. I never did figure out what happened to him till now." Ed smiled. "To think, he ended up right here in Resembool. What exactaly did he tell you again?"

Aria took a deep breath.

* * *

"I'm going to make a 'mint' off you kids." The cabby said, flipping Ed his change.

"Maybe. We need a way back, can you wait here?" He asked quickly.

"Sure, I need a break anyway." He tugged his hat over his eyes and rested his head down.

Ed nodded. "Great." He closed the door and looked at Aria. "Alright, let's go." They walked off into the hospital.

Upon entering, a nurse stopped them. "I'm sorry, visiting hours are over right now."

Ed held up his watch. "I'm passing right through, I'm here on business." With that said, he walked right past with Aria following close behind. "It not only helps you out, but if he has powers like he claims, he might be able to tell us a little about who we're trying to capture."

Aria nodded. "That old guy who blew up the church in Lior, right?"

"Exactally." Ed and Aria walked right through the main part of the hospital and right out the side door where Aria had said they took him. Upon entering the centeral part of the hospital they found what they had come for. "Ward C...I guess the C stands for 'Crazy'...let's go."

Heading into the door ajacent from the one they came out of, they walked down a long hall, no doors to be seen, just a single staircase right at the end. A minute of walking, Ed and Aria came up to the stairs, they looked as though they had been carved from some really large stone, it had no creaces where it might have once been tacked together, but just a solid block of stone. Ed looked at them curiously, he wondered if it was indeed carved from stone or if it was something else. Sure enough, a square pattern that formed on the back of one of the steps said it all. The steps were transmuted. The wonder in the steps then vanished. Once you know where something comes from, all the mystery seemed to leak away.

Screams and yells could be heard all through the hall and the steps. It bounced off the walls right into their ears, it was overwhelming. Aria clasped her arms together in slight fear. "What if there's like...sex maniacs down here?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure they're in cages." He reassured her. It was true, there were many of them down there, though he didn't want to tell her right just then, she might have turned around. "And if those guards are there like last time, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about."

Aria seemed to lighten up a little. "I guess you're right." Still that inital fear was still there.

Ed waved a hand at her. "If worse comes to worse, I'll transmute them into fish."

Aria snickered. "Right then." She smiled. It seemed as though the appearence wasn't the only thing the Elric brother's shared, the kind-hearted-ness was something that stood out as well. Still a little shaken, she continued to follow him, right down to the floor below.

It was made out of hard white marble and the walls were totally white as well. Straight ahead was the check in desk, with the same two burly looking black men, sitting right behind it, doing paperwork.

"Edward Elric I take it." One of them said.

"The one and only." He held up his watch as proof of stature.

The other man eyed Aria. "Now, there's a couple rules we have to keep you safe. For you young lady, I suggest you go no where near any of the bars. Most of the men in here haven't seen a woman in about twenty years, so best be on your guard." He turned his attention to Ed. "And any one of those guys in there wouldn't think twice about strangeling either of you to death."

He stood up and grabbed some keys off the wall. "Don't give them anything they could hurt themselves with, or anyone else for that matter. I wouldn't go talking to any of them, except for who you're going to see, some of them can get inside your head. It's just for your best intrest...if you think you can handle it, be my guest. Overall, try not to pay attention to most of them. They're locked up for a reason." With that said, he rounded the desk and walked over the the steel grate door and plunged the key into the key hole. With the turn of a key, an ear shattering clank was heard, and then, the door, with some force behind it, slid open. "If they're rude to you, I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Remember..." The other man said from behind the desk. "Try to ignore the rest of them."

Ed and Aria nodded. "Ready?" He questioned her.

"No...but let's go anyway." She said, following very closly behind Edward.

Sencing her nervousness, he took her hand an led her down the hall, following the wall on the far right. The man who opened the door, slid it shut again and spoke. "He's the last cell on the left."

"Thanks." Ed said as he led Aria down the hallway.

"Hello boy...let me touch your hair." It seemed that they were not off to a very good start, only a few doors down and already the people in the cells began to notice them.

"Ew..." She said in disgust to the first guy in the first cell.

Ed shook his head and sped up his pace. "Just keep going."

"I love young boys, they were always so soft, and they screamed so sweetly right before they die." He caught Ed's attention, though he only rolled his eyes. "I think you would scream if I were to kill you. Do you think so?" Ed continued walking, not replying to the man's words. "Don't be rude child, I'll feed you to the dogs!" He pounded his fists on the grate! "You worthless bastard! You think you're better than me!? You're nothing! Ya' hear me! You're worthless shorty!!"

Ed, though he was quite proud of his self control, had reached his limit. He spun around and gave the guy int he cell the most evil of glares that he could muster. "I'm worthless?! Look at who's on what side of the cage you dumbass! In another twenty years I'll be taller, and far away from this place. Where are you going to be in twenty years? I'll tell ya'! Rotting right there, in that cell! So shut you face!" With that said, Ed turned around and continued walking. Without looking back, he could hear someone wailing.

"Why?" The man cried. "Why now?"

Aria could help but smirk at Ed's blatent show of back bone. He may have been short for a boy his age, but she doubted anyone would want to take him on. If looks could kill, that man would have burst into flames. She admired his strength, but then again, it also made her appreciate Al's passifist kind of nature ever so much more.

Ignoring all the bad comments and all the arms through the bars, they continued their treck down the hall. Finally reaching their destination, they came upon the cell with Michel in it. He sat in the corner, muttering something to himself. "Red...red...no more...don't let them...never."

"Michel A'Endemrots? My name's E--"

"Edward Elric, I know...I read about you in the papers...don't worry, you need not introduce yourself." He stood up and approched the bars. "Aria, dear sweet Aria...are you here to hide, I don't think that'll work, they know what I've done, they'll kill me soon too." Aria was right, he sounded as if he was a few sandwiches short a picnic, and the basket, and the blanket, hell, he even brought ice skates with him.

Aria shook the anology form her head and became worried. "I think you're safe in here, just look at the security."

He smiled and tried to peer down the hall. "They'll find a way in, they always find a way. That man, he's quite resoursful."

Ed took a step towards the cell, still staying a safe distance away from the bars. "What man are you talking about?"

"The one you're looking for," He smiled. "Edward."

Slightly creeped out, he nodded. "Where is he at? He's plotting something big, we're sure of it, please, if you know something, tell us."

The man turned around and pressed his back up against the bars of his cage. "If I do that, they'll take him here for sure and he'll definatly kill me the instant he sees me."

Ed became frustrated. "What makes you think he'll kill you?"

"From an early age, he was gifted, he could see into the future. I know this, because we're brother's, twin brother's, and all his life, he hated everyone. Why? Because when he saw the future, he saw war, he saw famin, he saw everything that he didn't want, and he hated it. The visions became so lucid in his mind that he couldn't take it. He waned to destroy everything. If there was no people, there would be no future, so the horrible visions would then stop."

Ed got closer to the bars. "Wait, I thought you were the profit."

Michel looked over his shoulder for a second and then went back to looking at the wall of his cell. "No, but I could however read his mind...twins can be scary like that. I tried to warn everyone of the perils that would come if they chose to do what they were doing. It drove me to the point that I ended up here." Michel turned around and knelt down on the floor. "Do you know how madening it is, to not be heard? You could stand in the middle of the street and yell at the top of your voice...and still have no one hear you. Sure they hear the noise you make...but they don't understand."

Ed and Aria nodded. "Yeah." They said at the same time, giving eachother a quick glance as if to say 'that was strange'.

"He became so jealous of me, and cross at me. I didn't get the visions and I could control my power...I could sleep peacfully too...he hated that." Michel laid down on the floor completly, right up against the bars of his cell at that. "For the past ten years I've been here...waiting...hoping that someone will kill him, so that when I close my eyes, and try to think, I won't see what he thinks...and then I'll know that no one will get hurt."

Ed was becoming irritated, he was talking, but nothing that needed to be told. Though Aria was soaking it all up and enjoying the story.

"Then...you come into the picture...they've been watching you...right when you went to central...they followed you here...and they're going to use you...they need a boy with the red eyes, and you're how they're going to get him...and...that's all I know...I know not where they're at...nor what they plan to do next. My brother had blocked me out for a while, so I know nothing more." He closed his eyes.

Ed puffed out his bottom lip slightly. "At least I know why they stuck you down here."

Aria nudged him in the back of the shoulder. "Ed...that's not nice."

He shrugged. "Now...about what you told Aria. About a demon."

Michel's eyes opened once again. "If they use her to get the red eye'd one, they'll use him to summon that monster...keep her safe."

Ed knelt down next to Michel. "I hope there's at least some credibility to what you're saying." Though they told Ed not to get close to the bars, he did so anyway. Trust was a big thing with people like this, if he felt Ed didn't trust him, he probably wouldn't have said antying.

"Um..." She sounded from behind him. "Now that I think of it...I do know someone with red eyes." Ed turned around to face her. "A boy who came through our village not too long ago, about four months ago. His name was Leo...he was Ishbalan."

* * *

YEA! Another chapter done. And for once, one I liked. XD 

Like I said, I hope you guys stick with me, I'm not going to 'Mary Sue' Aria, so you don't need to worry.

I've got such a twist planned! I want to update this fic everyday till it's done!!! ...But sadly, I can't...I have to wait for you guys to review. (Sigh) I shall wait...patiently...I won't like it...but I'll wait.

Remember, leave a review for me. : )


	34. Chapter 34 A Trip

I have a cold...and I don't feel like putting in an author's note here...just read the stuff at the bottom...sniiiiif I hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 34 - A Trip**

* * *

"Hey Mustang?" Ed's voice spoke sternly and seriously through the phone. "I need you to wire me over some money."

A bit of a laugh could be heard through the line. "Aren't you a little young to be living pay cheque to pay cheque Fullmetal? Why are you so short?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIP-SQUEAK?!" Ed bellowed throught the phone. Aria choked a bit on the juice she was drinking, Winry couldn't help but smile.

"I meant short on cash." Roy defended himself.

Ed calmed himself. "Oh...right. Well, Al's in the hospital, and we need to pay the doctor bill. I've got that covered all fine and good, but I need some money to get a ticket to the Ishbalan camp. I hear it's only less than a day away and I need to get there as soon as possible."

Roy thought for a momet. "I _could_ have some money in your account by this afternoon at about four...but, why's Al in the hospital...and why do you need to go to the Ishbalan camp?"

"Well," Ed began. "Al had to get his appendix out...and I think I know of a way to help with finding that nut case we've been tailing. I know it's a bit of a long shot, but I heard from a reliable source that he and his lackies are going to try a mass homosicde."

There was a moment of silence from the other line of the phone. "How many are you speculating there are?"

Ed sighed. "Not sure, I'll be heading back to Central to give you my report soon enough, but right now, I need to go see a certain Ishbalan."

"I'll take your word for it Elric, don't let me down."

Ed smiled. "When have I ever let you down?" He smirked. "Thanks." With that said, he hung up the phone. "It's all set. I can use the money in my account now to get the ticket, and then when Roy get's that money though, we'll pay the hospital charges."

Ed reached his hands into his pockets and pulled out his white gloves. "Normally I hate doing things without Al being there, but I need to go and see Leo as soon as possible. And even if it's not him, I'm sure I'll find who I need to there." All Ishbalans had red eyes, and there wasn't too many of them, so tracking down who they needed to wouldn't be too much of a problem.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Aria folded her hands in front of her.

Ed smiled. "Yeah. It would be safer having you here with everyone around you. I wouldn't be able to keep a good enough eye on you to ensure your safety."

She nodded. "I guess. I should help out around the house to earn my keep anyway."

Winry gave her a pat on the back. "You can help me with the laundry then."

Ed tightened the tie on his braid and grabbed the colar of his coat and flipped it out. "Great, that saves me the trouble. I'll head out now, the next train heading that way leaves within the hour."

Having said their good-bye's, Ed left for the station and Aria and Winry headed into the laundry room at the back of the house to tidy up. Ed and Al never did take to doing laundry, so they left theirs to someone else to do. Winry sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "I just love it when they leave everything for me, they don't even sort it." She glanced over at Aria. "Luckily I have you to help...and you won't run away, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course." She rubed her hands together. "Let's get these sorted out then. The quicker we get through them, the quicker I can get to making my garden."

Wriny sweat-dropped. "Don't mind a little hard work I take it."

She shook her head. "If I'm not doing something, I feel useless, that's why I keep myself busy all the time. Let's get started."

The time passed quickly. It seemed as though when there was someone to talk to, the chores just flew right by. Half the laundry was done in a matter of hours. Washed, rinsed and hung to dry.

"You're pretty good at this." Winry complimented her.

"Yeah, my sister always kept me busy." She smiled as she sorted through some of the pants.

"Sister? I thought you were an only child." Winry asked, slightly confused.

Aria nodded her head. "I am, my sister is acutally only my sister-in-law, she's Felix's youngr sister...but I guess she won't be after I get rid of him. We got along pretty good...but around the end, a few months before the wedding, she started getting kind of weird."

Winry was a little concerned, why had she not mentioned her sooner?

"I'd rather not have anything to do with her anymore though...she's turned into a bad memory I just want to forget." There was an awkward pause.

"Alright." Winry couldn't help herself. "...why?" She had to ask.

"She liked...me, a little more than I was comfortable with."

Winry blushed. "Oh...oh my...that must have been...weird."

Aria nodded in an exadurated manner. "You wouldn't believe it. It was espically bad when she would go out partying and then she'd come home all doped up on God knows what." She folded her arms tightly and rubbed them to get rid of the goose bumps. "She'd get all touchy-feely and GAH!" Aria shook her hands frantically and then placed them down on the washing machine. "So gross."

Winry laughed. "I take it you're slightly homophobic."

She shook her head. "No...It just creeps me out to have a girl hit on me...so creepy." Aria took a few steps to the right to continue sorting out the clothing. She picked up a pair of Ed's pyjama pants and noticed something stuck in the leg. It must have been a sock or something, it was only small. She reached her hand in to properly sort it. "I think it's fine for someone to have their own little thing they like doing...so long as they don't push it on some...one...else..." She held up a pair of panties and blankly stared at them. "Uh...right then...Winry?"

Winry turned her attention toward Aria, holding up Ed's pants in one hand and the little pair of panties in the other. "Where did that come from?" She noticed Aria wiggled the pants. "How did they get there?" She walked over and tugged the underwear out of her hand.

"I guess some people have stranger hobbies than I thought." She giggled and shook her head.

A rabid blush crept all over Winry's cheeks. What in the world would a pair of her panties be doing in Ed's pants. Was there something he wasn't telling her? Then it hit her. She remembered the first night they spent together a day ago, and how she had thought she had lost her panties. Ed must have gotten them stuck in his pyjamas before he left the room. '_That makes sence..._'

Aria leaned against the table with the cloths on it. "Care to explain?"

Winry tossed the garment into the correnct pile. "Not really." They laughed about it as they continued the laundry.

* * *

Ed walked through the streets, checking down alley's and in between tents; the Ishbalan camp was pretty small, but the larger tents still made alleys. It seemed as though since the military was back in good hands, the Ishbalan's had nothign to fear. Building up their civilization again and bringing peace to the members of the village was easier ever since things were returned to the way they should have been from the start. Ed smiled as he walked by an open tent, a mother and her baby were cuddling by a small fire which was being stoked up by what seemed to be the father figure.

Seeing everyone so happy made Ed feel good inside. If not for him and Al, none of this would have been possible. For the first time in a while, Ed felt worthy of the title 'Hero of the People'. A twinge of pride revealed itself in Ed's mind, he soaked it all in. He wasn't about to shoot down self confidence.

Finally, after a bit of walking, Ed found exactly who he was looking for. "Mind if I come in?" He tapped his hand against the tent flap. It rippled beneath his hand. Ed couldn't see, Leo from the other side of the tent flap, but Ed recognized the voice talking to someone.

"Hmm?" The tent's door openend up revealing Leo on the other side, his younger brother in behind him. It seemed as though they lived alone, it was a smaller tent. "Ed?"

Ed held a hand up in greeting. "Hey." He smiled. "Mind if I come in."

* * *

"So they're looking for me?" Leo questioned. After sitting down by the warm fire, Ed had explained everything in detail.

"Yeah." Ed sipped his home grown Ishbalan tea. "So that's why I needed to come and see you. You wouldn't happen to know anything that might benefit this group of crazies, would you?"

"There is that book Scar left us." Rick spoke from the other side of the tent.

"That's right. It's pretty damaged, but I think it might be just what they're after." Leo rose form his spot and went into the other room of the tent, then quickly reappeared with a semi-burnt book in hand. "Like I said, damaged, but only in the later half of the book, and only at the bottom corner." he handed the book to Ed.

"Let's see." He flipped through the pages and skim read the text. "Hmm." He read a little more in depth. "Human transmutation." He flipped more into the book. "This bit's in ancient text...I can't read anymore."

"Not many people can read the ancient texts. If you'd like, I can help you translate them." Leo smiled and sat across from Ed once more. "I'm been learning how to read it, so has Rick. We're still not that good, but I'm sure we can find something out."

Ed thought for a moment and shook his head. "Thanks, but I need to get back. Im sure this is just what I need." Ed tugged out his watch and checked it. The train he was taking back was only stopping in for twenty minutes and then heading right back. It was dropping off cargo in Ishbal, so it was only staying for a short while. The Ishbalan camp was the end of the line, so it was no wonder.

He rose from his seat and fixed his coat so that it wasn't bunched int he back. Leo and Rick all went along with Ed to see him off, but to their dismay, by the time they got there, the train had already left. "What do you mean it's gone?!" Ed leaned over the ticket booth at the poor scared vendor.

"They had extra hands today helping and finished ahead of scheduel." The man behind the counter waved his hands frantically in defence. "If you have a complaint, you should take it up with the staton director."

Ed calemed himself. "It's fine then...I'll just get the early train tomorrow."

"Uh, Ed." Rick sounded from right beside him. He was looking at the train schedule. "Tomorrow's an Ishbalan holiday, there's no trains running."

"WHAT?!" Ed was furious. "I have no where to go, I'm completly put out! Where's that station director?!" Ed then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You can stay with us if you like, we have the food and the room." Leo sounded sincear with his offer.

Ed, though he realy wanted to get back, decided to stay. This gave him time to translate the book with Leo and his brother. "I suppose there's no harm. Al won't be out of the hospital till tomorrow anyway."

"Great." Leo smiled and they all headed back towards their tent. "...wait a sec. How could Al be in the hospital? I thought he didn't get sick on account of the armor."

Ed nodded. "That was true. But a few months ago, we finally managed to get his original body back. Sorry I didn't let you guys know sooner."

"That's alright. With all the traveling we did with the camps, it would have been a miracle if you found us anyway. It's good to see everything is returning to normal for everyone." They continued walking. "So...you said Aria pointed you in the right direction?" He saw that Ed nodded. "Did she ask anything else about me?"

"You still like her?" Rick snickered.

Leo gave him a quick smuck in the back of the head, a bright blush on his cheeks. "Quiet."

"Haha! You have a crush on her!" Rick teased.

"Shut up you little twerp!" He took a swing at him but missed.

Ed couldn't help but snicker. "I think you might be a little too late. Al and Aria are pretty close."

Leo sighed. "Oh well." It was only a one day crush, so Leo wasn't all that let down. Still, he did think she was quite pretty.

"How much of this do you think we can translate tonight?" Ed quickly changed the subject.

Leo, though he was still slightly depressed, stood up straight and began estimating how much time it would take. "If we really grinded, we should be able to get through half of the old text tonight. More than half the book is in modern text, so it sould take no time at all."

Rick chimed in. "Yeah, I'm pretty good at reading it too, I'm sure we can have it done by tomorrow sometime."

Ed smiled. "Great, let's get to it."

* * *

Sorry it took so long. I didn't have writer's block, I was just being lazy. :P

But on a good note, I took some advice from a friend of mine who also writes. He outlines all the chapters he want's to write about and then goes from there. So what I did, was wrote out an outline for the next two chapters so I know just what to do with them.

I'll be writing out more outlines tonight...and let me tell you...I'm totally going to kill someone...XD Just you wait and see!

It's a big twist and I'm sure no one will expect it. Let's see...Ch 35 and 36 are outlined...and chapter 37 tonight...then 38...I think it will happen in the end of 38...pretty sure anyway.

I don't want to drag this arc on too long, you'll get bored with it. So I'll be moving on after these next few chapters.

Then...I get into the more romantic and fun stuff.

Anyway, tell me what you think! I'll never improve unless you guys tell me what I'm doing wrong.  
Thankies for sticking with me this long!!!


	35. Chapter 35 Kidnapping!

(Begs for forgivness) I'm so sorry I haven't updated in SOOOO long. I'm been busy job hunting and such, so things have been a little hectic for me. But the good news is I'll have a permenant job (hopefully) by June. I've signed up with the military and I'll be going for my basic training then. I can't wait! XD I'm in such bad shape, I gained so much weight after having Raeven that I just don't know what to do with myself. If the army can't whip me back into shape, nothing can. ...;-; I'm doomed.

Anyway, quick little thing, go to youtube dot come and type in the search bar Cute Baby Raeven. You'll get three videos of Raeven in all her cute glory! She only makes a little bit of noise, but she's just so frikin' cute!!! XDDD

(ahem) Sorry...but really, check out the videos, tell me what you think. The longest one if a minute and a half. So, enjoy!

OH! And this chapter...FINALLY things are picking up and the arc is about to end! WOOT! Tell me what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 35 - Kidnapping!

* * *

**

He sat amidst the darkness. "It seems they're doing all the work for us." The old man rubbed his hands together. "It's going perfectly. Get everyone ready, you're going to town and catching the next train to central. Right along with the girl Aria." He spoke quickly to Raul. He then turned to Felix. "You can go with them."

Felix smiled a wickid smile. "Thank you sir."

* * *

Ed tapped his foot impatiently as he awaited the train to show up at the little Ishbalan outpost. "Come on!" He could see the train several miles down the line, but because he was in a rush, it made the train seem like it was tking it's sweet ol' time getting there. Ed gritted his teeth as he held the now fully translated book under his arm. They pulled an all nighter, but they had managed to get the book, at least enough of it, translated to actually figure out what was going on.

* * *

_The phone rang in the Rockbell house, though it was early in the morning, Wirny had managed to wake up early for her patients. She wrapped her fingers around the phone and greeted the person on the other line. "Rockbell auto-"_

"_Winry!" She was cut off._

"_Oh, Ed? What's going on?" She twirled the phone cord around her fingers and smiled. He actualy called her, though he sounded remotly frantic, it was still nice to hear from him._

"_I need you to get Aria out of bed. I need to tell her something."_

_Winry, slightly angered. "What do you need to talk to her for?"_

_She could hear a sigh from the other side of the phone. "Winry...I'm sorry, I don't have time to explain. I need you to get her. Now hurry up and put her on the phone."_

_Figuring he must have something important to say, she took off up the stairs to get Aria. After only a few seconds of shaking her, and thretening to clock her with the wrench if she didn't get up, Aria crawled out of bed and down the stairs._

"--_Hello?" She managed to say through a yawn. Aira listened well to what Ed had to say._

"_Aria, can you and Al both be ready and waiting at the train station by about five today?"_

"_Yeah." She replied. _

"_I need you two to come to Central with me. You'll go right?"_

"_Of course. Why?" She leaned against the wall._

"_I think the cult is going to try something there. I'm not all that sure, but after translating this book Leo gave me, I just have a hunch that Centeral is where they're going to do it. I'll explain more on the train, and don't forget to give Al a call and give him a heads up. And I know Winry might want to come along, but tell her I need her to stay there. Ok?"_

"_Ok. I'll do that. Bye." With that said, she hung up the phone._

"_What was that all about?" Winry stood there, confused and slightly upset. Ed hadn't wanted to talk to her, but she realized he had stuff he needed to do. Even if she didn't like it. Aria turned to her, a worried expression on her face._

* * *

Ed stood up straight as the train pulled up in front of him. It was twelve in the afternoon now, he would sleep till four, get something to eat on the train, and then be fully rested for meeting Al and Aria when they arrived on the train. 

The train hissed as it pulled into the station.

Ed had gotten on the train, requested a wake-up call for four o'clock and with that, he went to his private booth and immedatly collapsed and slept on the seat. He wasn't use to pulling all nighters in years. The last one he recalled was when he and Al were little and still studying alchemy, right before they were taken on by Izumi as students.

So much had changed since that time, but at the same time, so much had stayed the same. His love for science and alchemy was still there, and his height hadn't changed as much, but the one big thing that had changed in him, was his love for Winry. Though he had never said it to her, it was still implied.

Ed napped away the few hours that he could when finally there was a knock on the door. "Mr. Elric, the time is now four PM...Mr. Elric?"

Ed's eyes slit open and he sat up. "Thanks...I'm up." The voice from the other side of the door went silent and he heard footsetps moving away form the door. "Mmm..." He rubbed his eyes. Four hours of sleep just wasn't enough, but he knew that waiting till night to sleep was better for him anyway. He stretched and stood up.

After getting an extra large black cup of coffee, loaded with sugar, and a big sub with everything and anything on it, Ed headed back to his seat. He was starving and tired, so eating coupled with a pick-me-up was in order.

The final hour passed and Resembool station came into view. It was on a little bit of a hill out in the middle of a field, so it was quite easy to see. Ed made his way to the next car, the one with window on the proper side. He needed to pass the tickets through the window to Al and Aria.

As the train pulled up, he stopped right in front of Al, Aria and his father. Ed looked out past the train station, he could see the car there, so it was obvious they got a drive. He looked over to his father. "If I'd have known you want to come to central, I would have picked up a ticket too."

Hohenheim shook his head. "I promised Pinako I'd take her to the grocery store anyway."

"Right." He looked at Al. "You're looking much better."

Al smied. "I feel better. Though the doctor told me not to do anything strenuous for the next week." The same worried experssion that took hold of Aria now spread to his own. "So...what exactally is happening?"

Ed flipped them their tickets. "I'll tell you when we get on the train. You never know who's listening."

The fields passed and then some trees and then dense forest. It wasn't a hard thing to tell that they were leaving Resembool. "Brother...what's going on?" Al sat there carefully. The stitches in his side still hurt.

Ed picked up the book that was next to him; it was crammed full of foot notes and full page translations of some sections. "When we translated this book, it revealed that it was written by and Ishbalan priest...and Michel."

"Michel?" Aria said in shock. "You mean the one who we visited in the asylum?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah. Apparently he wasn't kidding about being able to link minds with his brother and that his brother could fortel the future." They listened patiently. "My name is mentioned in the book, so is your Al, and your's too Aria."

"How...what do I have to do with it?" Aria nervously rubbed her hands together.

"I'm not all too sure, it said that you would lead to 'the boy with the red eyes'. I'm thinking that if they used you, they would have found out where to find Leo and this book.." Ed opened to the front. "The first half of the book is how to create a homonuculas and control it. The second half is written by Michel, and it's telling the story of seven demons and how they came to almost destroy the world. I think that the cult wants this book to learn how to make homonuculas so they can control them to destroy everyone."

"Wait, that doesn't make sence. If Michel read his brother's mind to know the story of what was going to happen, how would the cult leader have found out about the book in the first place?"

Ed shrugged. "I'm not sure. I imagine that Michel told his brother that he had warned everyone about him and not to try anything harsh. I think he wrote this in the back of the book to warn people that if they wanted to raise a homonculas, they would have to chance destroying everything. As to why they wrote it in an ancient language is beyone me, but I'm sure there's a reason to it."

Aria leaned forward, her pony tail draped over her shoulder and fell in front of her. "What does this have to do with us going to Central?"

Ed smiled. "Well, I need you to come along because I really don't feel like leaving you in central with Felix looking for you. And Al, I wouldn't mind having you by my side, it lightens the work load for me."

Al sweat dropped. "So considerate."

"But why central?" Aria was still confused.

Edward continued. "To make a homonculas with such a power would require a lot of resources. But using one that's already made and powering it up would save a lot of time."

"One that's already made?" Al's face went completly pale. "You don't mean..."

"Envy." Ed finished his snetence.

Aria's eyes widened. "You mean the guy who stabbed you."

Ed nodded. "Yes. I think they're planning to ressurect him and use him to kill anyone and everyone. And Envy would od it too, in a heart beat."

The silence was staggering to say the least. Ed and Al remember first hand having to deal with Envy, it was nothing they wanted to repeat. "Why are we going here then?" Al asked, a shaky tone in his voice.

"If we managed to seal Envy, all would be fine. But seeing as how he's just sitting there in suspended animation, there's no telling what someone might do." Ed looked out the wondow. "We have to put him somewhere that no one can get to him. Remember, we can't destroy him, we dont' know where his remins are, if they even still exist."

He managed a smile. "But since we know all this, so long as we beat them to the punch, we'll be fine. Which is why I was in such a rush this morning."

A two day train ride for three people was nothing short of expensive, Ed was going to have to ask for another advance in his pay. It wouldn't have been so bad if this was military business, he could have just written everything off as a 'business expense'. Ed thought about it a little more. If he worked the paper work the correct way, he very well might still be able write all the expenses off, maybe even the doctor bill as well.

The days passed slowly, and the worst part was the night before they were to pull into Central station. The back car, the one next to theirs, decided to party and make vast amounts of noise. The three of the young travelers found sleep was sparse that night and they were next to exausted when they pulled into Central around eight in the morning.

The train screeched to a hault. "Mmmm." Aria groaned in pain, such a bad headache from the lack of sleep coupled with light really didn't help. She shook Al's shoulder, he was laying on her lap as he slept. "We're here." She looked up to Ed who was already awake, and not looking the best. It seemed the motion sickness had crept up on him overnight. "You gonna be ok?"

He shook his head. "I need to get off the train...now."

She gave him a sympathetic glance and then proceeded to help Al sit up. The stitches hadn't completly healed and after laying down most of the night, he was a little stiff in the morning. "Thanks."

Ed stood up, his hands clasped over his stomach. "Oh just stop and let me off." Wiht that, he exited the little booth and made a bee-line for outside.

"Poor brother." Al carefully stood up, with Aria's help and they walked towards the exit. Upon exiting their little booth, they saw a series of, what appeared to be, monks. The clichet brown long cloak and the hood that covered the face. There had to be at least twelve of them. Al smiled. "It's nice to see people who still believe."

Aria smiled back at him. "Yeah. I haven't gone to church in a while, I feel kind of bad."

Al gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Mom always use to tell us that we didn't have to go to church to believe, so long as we have faith, that's more than enough."

She smiled in return. "That's a good way to think." They stepped off the train. "So where do you think Ed went?"

He looked around for his older, yet smaller, brother. "It'll be impossible to find in him the tall crowd." Al had a sharp nerve of fear snap in his entire body. "Don't tell him I said that." He laughed a little.

Aria nodded. "I won't...remember, I'm even shorter than him, so I can't pick on him because of his height."

Al paused. "Sorry." He smiled.

She shrugged. "I don't mind. The only thing I wish is that I had a more curvey figure, but it doesn't matter to me all that much."

"I think you look fine just like--" Al's sentence was cut short with a swift knock in his back, knocking him down.

"AL!" Aria exclaimed as she tried to help him back up. To her dismay, she was met with a firm hand holding a cloth wrapped around her mouth. She breathed in hoping to scream loudly for help, but upon inhaling, her lungs met with a powerful scent. Immedatly, her entire body shut down and she fell limp to the ground. No sooner had she stopped moving, when the rest of the cloaked men crowded around her and quickly scurried off with her unconcious body.

Al could only stand by and watch it happen. His side was splitting with pain, he could barely move. Despite the crowd around him, no one seemed to notice that Aria had been taken. "Dammit!" He used all his strength and will power to pull himself to his feet again. He caught a glimps of Ed, hanging over the edge of the port. Though the pain was nearly unbarable, he made his way toward Ed through the crowd.

Ed held onto the bar that barracaded anyone from falling over the edge and into the water. He hadn't gotten sick, but just in case, he held on for dear life.

"Edward!" Al called to him from about ten feet away.

"Do I not look busy?" He gave a smart ass remark in return. He wasn't feeling well, and putting up with anything at the moment wasn't a good idea.

"Ed! Someone took Aria!"

Quickly snapping out of his bad mood he stood up, still a firm grasp on his mid section. "What?"

Al shook his head. "They knocked me over and then dragged her off."

Ed thought quickly. "Who would do such a thing?" Then it hit him. "DAMMIT!" He knelt down. "Get on my back Al." Al was hesitant. "You're not that heavy, I'll be fine. We need to get to a phone. They beat us here."

He looked surprised. "What?! How did they know?!"

Ed hoisted Al up on his back and proceeded to walk in a hastened manner. "Their leader can predict the future, what did you expect?"

Al sighed. "Oh...right."

Ed rounded a corner, dodging people as they came at him. The adrenline rush quickly got rid of any nausea he had and he was making good time. "The sooner we get to a phone, the sooner we can get a car to go to the old church." The stairway that led under Central, to the old city, right where Envy was being held in a state of suspended animation, the place where he died; that was where they needed to go.

* * *

Like I said earlier, really sorry about the long wait. I'll be sure to update really soon, I'm too pumped about the way the story is going to stop it now! ;D 

Tell me what you think! _Thankies!_  
**_VVVV_**


	36. Chapter 36 Ambush

Once more, I appoligize for the late update. ;-; I've been a depressed mess for the last little while. You'll have to forgive me.

But here is a good long chapter helping to tie up this whole messy business. It'll be ending soon so sit tight and wait for the next story arc. (The romance story arc. :P Yea, for relationships and love!!!)

Anyway, sorry again, I hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 36 - Ambush**

* * *

"Elric." Roy's voice spoke with a an agitated tone. "This better be good for so early in the morning." Ed's phone call had went out to half the military, including Roy and his staff. 

"Trust me, it is." Ed quickly explained the situation at hand. How the same people who blew up Rose's church were threatening to do the same to all of Armestris. Envy was their target. After the briefing was done, the troops were sent down the stairs to under central.

Roy stood behind Edward as they watched the first military-unit section head down. "How do you know they're down there?"

Ed, a determined look on his face, spoke sternly. "I sealed the path to get down there when we came up the last time. Someone opened it again and it was using the same explosives that were used on the church in Lior."

The colonel was surprised. "Smart thinking."

Smart thinking? Edward was prone to doing such things in time of crisis.

* * *

_"Winry?" Ed spoke quietly into the phone as to make sure no one else heard him._

_"Ed? Hey, what's going on?" Winry sounded in a happy tone as she twirled the phone around her fingers. "Is something the matter?"_

_She could heat Ed breathing, he seemed to be a little out of breath. "Something's come up...and I might not be able to call you again later on today...so I just wanted to call now." He sounded as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders._

_"What's wrong...you sound troubled." She could just hear it, Ed was never any good at hiding these things from her._

_"It's just..." He didn't quite know how to say it. "Anyway...I just called...and..." He was not prepared to say what he needed to. "I uh..."_

_Winry smiled. "What is it?"_

_"..." He swallowed a big lump in his throat. "I just wanted to tell you...I love you. I have to go now, my ride is here." Without another word, the phone went silent._

_Winry stood there, rather stunned. She knew it was implied, so she never thought she'd hear him say it. And then it hit her. The talk about the terrorist cult, the sudden trip, the short handed conversation just then; it only could possibly mean one thing. Her eyes welled up with tears, and then, in only a matter of seconds, the tears fell down off her cheeks and hit the floor. Begrudgingly, she hung up the phone and stood there, crying._

_She knew that very well might have been the last time he talked to Edward. He was always getting himself into dangerous situations, and he wouldn't have called her to tell her that if he knew it wouldn't have significant meaning. He was going to face them, she knew it._

_

* * *

_

_Ed held his hand over the receiver that was now hung up on the public phone. He sighed a breath of relief. He had managed to tell her without having to hear her cry, or ask why he would be telling her something like that out of the blue. Ed fully realized that he might not come back alive if he needed to face Envy, so tying the loose ends needed to be done._

* * *

Even if Ed was good at thinking smart in times of crisis, it didn't mean he had good timing. He watched the last of the troops go down as he reminisced about his phone conversation only a few moments ago. Ed found he was doing that a lot lately. Talking on the phone, and then regretting doing it. But there was no point in worrying about it. If they were going to kidnap Aria, they would have done it anyway, and then Ed and Al would have to catch up with them. On other occasions, such as that, Ed felt his timing was perfect. Even if it still was inconvenient. 

"Ready Full Metal?" Roy asked as he stood at the broken hole in the front of the alter.

Ed nodded. "Yeah." He began walking only to feel a presence behind him. He sighed and slowly turned around. "Al, I know you're worried, but you're in no condition to go with us."

Al bit his bottom lip and got a determined expression on his face. "But I have to help. They took Aria! I don't care if I'm in pain, I need to get her back. What if she get's..." He stopped his sentence.

Ed gave him a hopeful tap on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much Al, we'll get her."

His expression became serious. "I'm going with you!"

Before Ed could speak again Hawkeye stood in front of him. "Alright. If you want to come along, you are not to do any hand to hand combat what so ever."

He nodded. "Fine."

She continued. "Furthermore, I feel like you would be nothing more than a burden in your current state, so I'm giving you a military issue firearm." She unclipped her waist belt that held the gun and it's holster. "Should you need to defend yourself, you are to shoot to kill. Understood?" She could sense the hesitation in the young boy. "Should you decline my offer, you stay here, out of harms way." She held the gun out in front of him.

Al nodded and reached out the firearm. "Understood." Taking it in his hands, he clipped the belt around his waist, tightened the strap and was on his way. "Come on, let's go." He said within the broken tunnel. Roy looked at Ed and Riza standing there, slightly dumbfounded. He followed right behind Al.

Ed glanced toward Hawkeye. "You realize you just gave a fourteen year old a gun...right?"

Riza sighed. "I was hoping he wouldn't take it." Sadly, Al called her bluff and took it anyway.

Ed couldn't help but smile. "Al's turned into a cold blooded killer. I guess love really does make you do funny things."

The first Lieutenant walked behind Edward. "Love?"

Ed spoke to her over his shoulder as they, the last two of the group, headed down the long stairs. "Aria...she and Al have this little thing...but she's married...and contracts...it's all just one big messy business."

She smirked. "Sounds complicated."

"It is...uh, Lieutenant...how are you going to protect yourself?" Knowing full well she gave Al her own gun, it left one to wonder what she might do.

She reached behind her back and pulled out a gun that was identical. "I've got backup...plus four more."

Ed became rather scared. "Remind me not to make you mad."

She nodded. "I don't think you're that stupid."

* * *

The maze of old buildings and debris laying uselessly about old Central was a difficult trek indeed. Al jumped down from an old chimney, that had once stood tall, laying across a street. The buildings that lined the old street they were on were faded and beginning to crumble. Their once brilliant red brick walls now reduced to a dusty, eroding mess. Piles of brick crumbs lay about the ground around the edge of each respective houses. The air was thick with the dust and stank of abandonment. 

There was no telling if there was anyone left after the city was used as alchemic material. Maybe some tried to rebuild, but from the looks of it, even if they did, they didn't succeed. Ed and Al looked around, the area where Envy was wasn't too far off.

"I think that's it!" Ed pointed up ahead. There was the grand hall that he had his final battle with Envy in. Luckily for him, it held a good memory as well. It was the same place Al received his body for the first time in four years.

"Looks about right...do you want to get the others first?" Al looked over his shoulder. The first party that went in wasn't too far behind them, so calling the up would be a good idea.

"Nah." Ed waved a hand at him. "We should make sure someone's here before we call them all over." Ed continued to walk.

Al was hesitant at first but then decided to follow his older brother instead. "Wait up!"

They both quietly approached the door. Ed knelt down and pressed his ear up against the old wooden frame and listened carefully.

* * *

"'_You'll never get away with this, they'll come looking for me_.'" Felix got close to her face. "Say something like that! You make a terrible hostage." 

Aria turned her head in disgust, she had been bound to a chair and blindfolded.. "I wouldn't give you the pleasure of seeing me in distress. Besides, losing control and freaking out won't make someone come for me any sooner. If anything, when they do get here, it'll only make them more tense, thinking that I'm in pain or something. So it's best for me to just keep quiet and wait for something to happen."

Felix smiled as he grasped her cheeks tightly. "So you think they're going to come get you? Well you're wrong!" He squeezed tightly.

"Oh well." She brushed him off.

"Why you!" He raised a hand to strike her but was stopped short by Raul.

"Enough!" He spoke in a deep tone. "We don't need any more drama. Now be quiet and take her up to the room prepared."

Felix huffed. "Fine." and then grabbed the back of the chair. Tugging it along behind him, he drug it down the stairs that were leading down off the stage.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Aria spoke as she got pulled down each consecutive step. "Lift the chair you ass. Ow!" He came to the final step. "You know, you're only going to make it harder on yourself if you treat me badly. If you're nice, I'll tell them to only give you one life sentence." She said in a smug tone.

"Shut up little girl." Raul spoke from atop the stage. "Or else I'll make good use of you." He referenced to his belt buckle.

A subtle move, but Aria knew what he meant. "Right." She began being silent again. '_I'd better keep quiet..._' She looked around, she could see that the other ten members of the cult, plus their leader, were all on the center floor meditating and chanting around a body that was suspended on spikes. '_Envy? Could that be him?_' She looked back to Felix. '_Wait...a room? ...he's not going to...oh no..._' She remembered that she had skipped out on their wedding night, he wasn't planning on taking advantage of her while being tied up, was he? Her mind panicked. '_Not good...please, hurry._'

* * *

"Do you hear anything brother?" Al asked, a tone of impatience in his voice. 

Ed nodded. "They definitely are in there. Let's move, we have to inform the others." Ed stood up and quickly moved in the direction of Roy's party.

"Wait for me..." Al struggled a little, but stood up and followed behind him.

* * *

The cult's master approached Envy's lifeless body. "Heed my words beast! From this day forth, you shall serve under me and only for me." He pulled a knife from his belt and held it out straight at his side. "From this day forth, you shall have life everlasting! You shall protect and serve your master! I shall be your master! Live again beast!" With that, the cult leader took the knife and cut the top of one of his fingers, rather deeply, and began to draw a transmutation circle on the ground right under Envy. "Rise now!" He touched the circle and activated it. The spikes, that came from the floor, began to recede and go back into their original form. Envy was moved to a sitting position. 

Envy's body moved for the first time in months. As the energy from the transmutation died down, and the spikes returned to the floor from whence they came, Envy opened his eyes. He had been drained of all his life force, and sat there quietly. "Red...stones..." He spoke in a drone voice.

"Soon." The cult leader spoke from beneath his shaggy robes.

Then, from the front of the room, an earth shaking explosion was heard in the grand hall and the whole front door was blown open. The leader quickly turned a ran as his followers protected him. As if he was a bat out of hell, he was gone. Soldiers, alchemists and the like, poured into the room, each and everyone aiming gun.

"Go after him!" Roy shouted his order from the back row; he had seen the old man make a break for it. A small division of five men ran after him.

Ed was close behind Roy. "Aria's not in the main hall?"

Roy looked down at him. "Where might she be at?"

Ed shrugged. "Not sure, but I want to take this time to request a search party."

"Right! First section, search the building with Full Metal! The rest of you, subdue the terrorists." Before Roy's order could take effect, each one of the cult members took out a small glass vial and threw it to the ground, causing a great deal of smoke to be produced.

"Hold your fire!!!" Roy yelled as he waited for the smoke to clear. As predicted, when the air was once more opaque, the ten cult members were gone. "Sure enough." Roy stepped forward, closer to the center of the room. "Alright everyone. These guys are armed and dangerous, quite possibly carrying explosives. It's stealth-code-red people, now move out!"

All the soldiers split up to search the building. Ed walked up behind Roy and gave him a tap on the shoulder. "What does 'stealth-code-red' mean again?"

Roy turned to him. "If they're carrying explosives, and they get shot, they very well might explode, killing a soldier needlessly."

Ed swallowed. "You mean..."

Hawkeye chimed in. "Hunt them down, shoot to kill, head shot only." She cocked her gun.

Ed looked back to Al, a worried expression on his face. "Still glad you came along?" Ed clapped his hands together and formed a sword at the end of his automail.

Al gulped. "I have no regrets." He began walking. "Let's go."

* * *

Yea! Al the killing machine!

Hehe, not really. But you get the point. Anyway, tell me how you like it.


	37. Chapter 37 Death

I have decided to end my fic on chapter 38. Why? Not because I'm out of idea's, no way. It's just because I want to split the romance and the action up. The fic that I'll write after this one will be a continuation of this exact story...except, no cult, no terrorists and nothing but drama and romance. Why drama? Because, in the real world, drama goes hand in hand with romance. Oh, and humor of course! Can't have a fic without smiles and jokes! XD

Don't worry, I'll stick with continuity. It's just I want to do a time jump, just a few months, but I don't think it would fit in well with this fic here. That and I want to give it a good name, one that will fit it properly.

So yes, this is the second last chapter. And don't worry, everything will wrap up nicely. I promise you. Have I ever let you down before? ...Don't answer

* * *

**Chapter 37 - Death **

* * *

Al sat on the floor of the abandoned hall, tired and out of breath. They had just spent the last half hour running about looking for the cult followers. Al thought back, he had one at gun point, ready to die, but his conscience overcame his judgment as a soldier, and he couldn't do it.  
Ed sat next to him, cleaning off his blade. 

He looked over to his older brother, though the size difference between the two of them was great, the sheer will and determination was even more of a gap. "Brother...?" Al grabbed his attention quietly.

"What?" He said in a somber tone.

Finding it difficult to ask such a harsh question, he hesitated. "...how could you do something like that?" Referring to the downed cult member.

Ed scowled at his younger sibling. "I'm not doing things like this because I want to!" He snapped at him. "It's my job. And even though I don't like doing it, it needs to be done. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If we don't get rid of people like this, there's no telling what they're capable of." He looked over to the man, laying still on the floor on the opposite the dark hall they were sitting in. With a heavy heart, Ed went over to the man and checked his robes. "Ha...good thing you didn't shoot him." Ed reached and pulled a small box from under his top burlap robe. "Gelignite."

"Plastic explosive? Where would they get that?" Al watched his brother carefully remove the detonation plugs.

"They probably transmuted it." Ed laid it on the floor and clapped his hands. "Alchemy was used to remove Envy from the floor where you held him. So there's no telling how advanced an alchemist they might have among them." He touched the explosive and broke it down into more basic elements. "Cotton, nitroglycerin, a little wood pulp and sodium nitrate." Making sure the nitro was in a solid form, he picked it up. It fit in the palm of his hand.

Al drew a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk, he always kept one handy, and Ed placed the block of nitro in the center of it. "Best to break it down before it does any damage." Al touched the circle and thus, dematerialized the explosive into it's most basic elements.

Ed was concerned. "They could just kill us and be done with it considering the amount of force behind these kinds of explosives. Maybe they're looking for the 'boy with the red eyes'...you think?"

Al thought for a moment. "If they're referring to Leo, then they're out of luck. He's still in Ishbal right?" He watched Ed nod. "And you already destroyed the book that had anything that they might need to know...uh...this leader of theirs." Al tugged his feet closer toward himself. "If he can see the future like was proclaimed...wouldn't he already know that we destroyed the book?"

Ed shrugged. "Not sure." He paused. "Maybe, they need skilled alchemists to help with Envy. Maybe that's why they took Aria. To lure us in. Maybe it's me they're after...my eyes aren't red though."

Al nodded. "You are quite popular, it's no wonder they would do this to get to you. You don't need a circle. That must hold some significance to them. I guess they don't really care about the details anymore."

Ed stood up. "Who knows. We're just waisting time sitting here thinking about it. Let's get moving." He helped Al to his feet. "You be careful. You're still not looking all that good."

Al rubbed his eyes. "I'm doing ok. It's just." He looked at the gun hanging off his waist. "I just don't know if I'll actually be able to kill someone."

Ed sighed. "Killing someone means robing them of their future. Killing isn't an easy thing to do...but it's either kill or be killed. A rough choice, but when faced with a life or death situation, it's just what you have to do. Remember, you're the one who wanted to come along. You can't back out now."

The younger of the two sighed. "I know...it's for Aria...I have to try...I just don't know if my mind can handle taking someones life."

Taking his brother's words to heart, he held out his hand as they walked side by side. "Give me that gun, I need to see something." Without hesitation, Al handed it to him. "It's a ten shot...I think." He popped out the clip.

"I'm not sure. I don't know guns." He could see Ed fiddling with something with the gun. "What are you doing?"

With a snap of the clip being put back in the gun, and a click of the safety being put on, he handed the gun back to Al. "I wanted to know how many bullets were in there. Al..." He turned to him, hand on the gun. "You have to promise me that you'll be accurate with this gun. If you need to use it, make sure you're one hundred percent sure you'll hit your mark. Don't go firing at random, if you hit a terrorist in the wrong spot, you, and whoever is in close range, might die. Got that?"

Al nodded. "I know...I'll be sure..." He replace the gun in the holster. "Head shot only."

"Good. Let's keep going." They walked back to a corridor with a few soldiers standing guard. "There's one more down the hall, report it to Mustang and move the body."

The soldiers saluted him. "Yes sir!" They moved out.

Al was impressed that despite his brother's age, he still knew who was the authority figures were. Himself being one of them. He did hold the rank of Major, so it was just as well. "Hmm...I wonder how many more are left." Ed recalled haring shots go off earlier, so someone must have picked off another one. Or had been picked off themselves. Ed discarded the thought of losing someone right then.

* * *

"I thought you said you were trying to quit?" Breda said as he flopped down two more terrorists.

Havoc was looking all over his jacket for a lighter. "I know." He said in a defeated tone. "I'm too shaky though." He had missed his first target by a foot, a small screw up like that could have costed a lot more than just his life, the life of a friend as well. The withdrawals were getting worse. "I'll do my best to quit when we get back...dammit." He was unsuccessful in finding a lighter or even a match.

"Here." Breda held out a lighter and flicked it so a small orange glowing flame arose from the top of it.

"Thanks." Lighting his cigarette, he inhaled deeply and blew the acrid smelling and tasting remnants into the air. He paused for a moment. "Wait...what if they're using gas explosives?"

Breda thought about it. "Well, then we would have exploded when you lit that thing up." Referring to the cigarette in between his fingers.

Havoc looked at the cigarette and then back to his friend. "I should put it out then?"

Breda nodded. "You wanted to quit for Cathrine's sake anyway."

Havoc realized that if he gave in like this, he would end up starting again. "You're right." With that, he butted the cigarette on the heel of his boot and continued to search the old building.

* * *

"Die in a hole!" Aria kicked her heel as hard as she could into Felix's lower gut. He flew backwards and hit the door. "Scum! Keep your hands off me!" Aria had managed to remove the blindfold in all the commotion. She had been brought into a room that seemed to be a bedroom. Surprisingly well kept at that. Evidently, she had no idea where she was. Felix had tried pinning her down to the bed, but with no success. She may have been cuffed, but with her ability to kick, he could barely get close enough.

"Little bitch! I knew you were breaking our contract." He remembered seeing her ride away in that car with a boy that looked to be her age. "I own you! You're mine. And sure enough, my leader has brought us back together!" He quickly approached her and grabbed a hold of her hair. "You will submit to me!"

"Hold on to that dream!" She said sarcastically. She once more kicked him, this time, in the thigh. For a girl of her size, she sure packed one hell of a mean kick. "All that lifting heavy garden supplies really paid off. You come near me again and I promise you, I won't miss." She had been aiming for the vital area, but all the fuss was throwing off her accuracy.

Felix regained his balance. "Like hell you will." With that, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her down off the bed and onto the floor.

"NO! Stop it!" She tied frantically to hold her knees together.

"You're mi—" But before he could finish his thought, there was a loud explosion heard from what sounded like the opposite side of the building. "Someone detonated? We're being attacked." He let go of Aria's ankles and picked her up to her feet. Grabbing a hold of the handcuffs that held her hands fast, he pulled her out of the room.

"What in the world are you doing?" Aria refused to move her feet. "Where are you taking me?"

Felix reached to his waist side and pulled out a gun, and promptly aimed it at her head. Aria's movements went completely still. "We're heading back down to the main corridor to see if Master is ok. Besides, with you out in the open, the boy with the red eyes is sure to come out. Now come on."

Aria allowed herself to be pulled along in fear of being shot. "Boy with the red eyes? You mean Leo? He's in Ishbal, you can't get to him. Besides, Edward destroyed the book he had. So this is all pointless!" She said, running along behind him.

"Shut up!" He said with a snarl. "We'll just see what happens. Besides, it's too late to turn back now." Finally, they reached the main hall.

To Felix's dismay, he saw a series of four corpses laying on the floor. Raul was cuffed and being hauled off and his Master, the one who brought Aria and him back together, was cuffed, kneeling down, being read his last rights. He was in front of a firing squad consisting of six men armed with rifles. "Dammit!" He cussed under his breath.

"Hey!" A soldier noticed him.

Quickly he tugged Aria close to his chest and held the gun back up to her head. "Don't more or she dies!" He announced in a loud, bold voice. The entire room turned their attention to Felix, now holding the hostage Aria.

"Aria!" Al yelled.

Ed gritted his teeth. "Dammit!"

"Let Master go!" He said to the firing squad. Reluctantly, they lowered their weapons while another soldier went up and undid his handcuffs. "Now!" He said as he made his way to the center of the grand hall. "Bring us the one with the red eyes." The older cloaked man stood beside him.

"You will be rewarded for this." He smiled.

Felix smirked in return. "Well?! Where is he?!" He said, looking around the room. No one stepped forward. "Fine!" He allowed Aria to fall to the floor. "Then so be it!" He cocked his gun and fired at Aria. She lifelessly fell to the floor.

The older man panicked. "What are you doing?! We needed her! Foolish--!"

Felix pointed the gun at his own master's head. "It's too late!" He fired once again, taking the life of the old man.

Al's breathing hastened and he began to walk forward. "...no...no she...no!" Tears began welling up in his eyes and pour down his cheeks. After all they had gone through, it all ended like this. "You...I can't believe...no!" He said, rapidly approaching Felix and Aria's now lifeless body.

"If I can't have her, neither can you." Felix smirked.

"Back up Al! We can't shoot him with you so close!" Roy yelled at the young boy. It was obvious that he was quite distraught with loss that he was confused. "Alphonse!"

Ed bit back his own grief when he too began to approach his brother. "Al! Get back here."

Felix raised the gun up again and pointed it directly at Alphonse's head. "If you hadn't have taken her away from me, she wouldn't be dead right now. This is all your fault!" He began to squeeze the trigger.

Al, who still continued to walk right into the gun, spoke quietly. "It's not my fault...you bastard!" His voice grew loud with the last two words. Al shut his eyes and reopened them, only to have them glow a bright red color.

"It's you!" Felix took a step back. "What have I done?!"

Al held a hand out, fingers outstretched. "Die." The floor moved around him and surrounded him. As if on cue, explosions were heard all over the building.

"What the hell is happening?!" Roy said, running over to Edward.

Ed shook his head. "It's the philosopher's stone! He's still got some left inside of him! Al what are you doing?!" Ed balanced carefully, the floor was shaking the entire ground. He looked up to his younger brother. "Alphonse! The building is going to fall apart! Stop it!" Ed looked up to see a pillar falling right above him. But before he had time to react, the pillar stopped falling and repaired itself to it's original position. "What the?"

"I'm controlling it all. This building. I've transferred a good portion of my soul along with the philosopher's stone, into it and am controlling it all. I'm getting rid of all the cult members...and don't worry, it won't fall." He was right, parts of the ceiling that seemed like they would fall repaired themselves, just like the pillar did.

"This is crazy." Roy looked around. "Can't you find Envy?"

"NO!" Felix screamed while still being held to the floor. It came up and held his arms down like handcuffs, his feet as well. "You can't kill him! I need him to carry our my plans!"

"That's all of them...there's Envy." With that, Al looked up, a crimson glow emitting from his eyes. An alchemized wave in the floor carried Envy back to the main hall. "All the cult members are dead...Envy's useless...it's over." He spoke without feeling.

"Al...I--" Ed approached his brother again, this time, only to see him remove his gun from the waist belt that Riza had given him. "Al? What are you doing?"

"Stop that." Felix watched Al's motions closely.

Al raised the gun up, and aimed it right between Felix's eyes. "And you..." Without even the slightest hesitation, he pulled the trigger. Shooting him right in the head at nearly a point blank range.

"..." Ed stood there, his mouth wide open. "He...pulled the trigger." Felix's body fell to the floor, limp, and very much dead.

"Now..." Al closed his eyes and opened them again. As quickly as it happened, the red glow disappeared.

"Are you ok Al?" Ed knew what had been lost to them both, he held back tears for the loss of Aria.

"No...I'm not." With that he elevated the gun to his own head. "I will be though."

Ed stood there, shocked.

"..." With that, he pulled the trigger. Aria's eyes slowly opened to see what was unfolding before her.

* * *

Now, normally I try and comfort you at this point, but this time, no. Leave a review. Please. o.o 


	38. Chapter 38 Straightened Out

I think that's enough time for you guys to wait. XD

I had one hell of a time dodging ShadowClouds chainsaws, knives and monster trucks, but I'm sure you'll all enjoy the LAST CHAPTER OF THIS FIC!!! OoO

Ok. This will NOT be the end of my ficciry. No, no. Like I stated in the last chapter, I'm going to have a "STRICTLY ROMANCE FIC" that takes place right when they get back to Resembool. Part 3 of my little FMA world in my mind. o.O

Mind at ease though, I have an even bigger twist planned for my next fic. (No crazy cult though.) I still squee at the thought of it. I wonder if I'll ever run out of ideas? I absolutely KNOW you guys will like this new romance fic, there's going to be filler in it! OMG FILLER! (Meaning fluffy stuff and what not. lol)

I'd like to thank all my reviewers for sticking with me through all this crap here, and I hope you'll enjoy my new fic...which Ill be posting tomorrow. :P I can't leave you guys in the dark for too long, you're liable to forget about me. DX And to all those people who read and don't review...this is your LAST chance to tell me what you think. So please, review this chapter if no other. If you don't have an account, leave an anonymous review, I like those too. :3

Thankies! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 38 Straightened Out

* * *

**Aria stood there, blood trickling slowly down her arm. She hadn't exactly been shot, the bullet, fortunately, just nicked her shoulder; though the shock of it was enough to make her faint. SHe rubbed her wrists from where she finally managed the get the handcuffs off. She watched the soldiers place the lifeless body into a black bag and zip it up. She couldn't believe he was dead. It was all over. 

She then looked up to Al, standing there, the gun lowered to his side.

"A click." It was all he had heard. He popped the clip out and saw that there wasn't any more bullets in the gun.

"Al..." Aria walked towards him. He looked up to her, a sad expression on his face.

"Aria...I." He began.

She stomped up to him, raised her injured arm behind her and quickly swung it forward, smacking him square in the face. The sound resonated in the large hall. "You idiot!!!" She screamed. "You scared the hell out of me!!! Why would you do something so stupid?!"

Al dropped the gun and raised a hand up to the sore red part of his face. "I thought you were gone...I'm sorry."

She stood there gritting her teeth. "Alphonse...you..." Her eyes filled up with tears and she quickly hugged him, nearly knocking him off his feet. "I'm sorry, I just..." She sobbed uncontrollably.

Ed walked up behind him. "I had this weird feeling you would do something like that...so..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a series of nine bullets. "I was taking my chances giving you one bullet to work with, but I guess it was for the best." Ed ran his fingers through his hair roughly pulling his bangs back while replacing the bullets in his pocket. "I'm just shocked you pulled the trigger a second time. I wouldn't have had the guts to do it."

Al smiled a little and held Aria tight. "I really don't know what I was thinking...obviously I wasn't; it was stupid...I'm sorry for scarring you."

Aria calmed herself down a little and sniffled. "Felix is gone...that means...we can be together." She hugged him tightly.

Al smiled. "That means I can take you for that walk by the river I mentioned before." She looked up to him. "I'm sure you'll love it."

The red bangs in her eyes were clinging to her cheeks because of the tears, she brushed them out of the way. "I'm sure I will." She touched noses with him and closed her eyes, nuzzling him lightly.

"Hey come on, I'm right here." Ed smirked. "Save that for when we get back. Oh. Before I forget." Ed walked up next to his brother and he raised his atomail above his head and sent it crashing down on Al's head.

"What was that for?!" Al yelled, kneeling down, clutching his skull in pain.

"Four years Al! Four god damn years we spent trying to get your body back! If you'd have blown your own head off, I would have transmuted your sorry ass back here and killed you myself!"

"Wouldn't that be counter productive?" Aria chimed in.

"Shut up!" Ed snapped.

Al stood up and rubbed the top of his head. "I'm sorry brother..." He was a little down.

Ed went all soft on him and gave in a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You know I'll always be here for you. I always have."

"Thanks." He looked over behind Aria, off a little in the distance, was Envy, semi-conscious but motionless. "What are we going to do about him?"

The three teens walked up to Envy and looked down at him. Ed kicked him in the head. "And that's for killing me. You ass-hat." He puffed his bottom lip out.

Aria laughed. "We could always just burry him."

Al nodded. "Good idea. No one will think to look for him down here." Al looked over his shoulder at all the soldiers doing the clean up behind them. "We only have a few minutes to do this, so let's decide what needs to be done. I'm too weak, so you two will have to do it."

Ed looked at Aria. "You're good at condensing materials, right?"

Aria nodded. "Yeah."

Ed grabbed Envy by the hair and pulled him to what he thought to be the center of the entire building. It was right in front of the stage. "Do you think you can condense all of the building into something really hard, like carbon?"

She smirked. "I could turn it into diamond...if I was allowed."

Ed thought. "...well, it's going to be underground...no one's going to see it...sure."

Aria nodded and then looked around. "I'll need something to draw a circle with."

Ed clapped his hands and touched the ground. A very large and intricate circle inscribed itself directly into the floor. "How's that?"

The young girl was amazed, it wasn't all that often that she got to see alchemy be done without a circle. "That's perfect." She watched Ed position Envy properly in the circle.

He stepped out of the ring and stood next to Al. "Whenever you're ready."

She knelt down at the edge of the circle and leaned forward. Before getting halfway to the ground, she put her hands out in front of her and touched down on the circle. A blinding alchemic flash brightened the entire area. Slowly, the walls, the pillar's and even the floor began to dematerialized and got sucked up into the transmutation. Shots of yellow and blue lightening jumped and danced around the changing matter that began to surround Envy. Aria slowly stood up, her arms outstretched guiding the reactions carefully. The ground in the circle began to sink inwards as all the materials that were being used got smaller and smaller. They could see the crystallization of the solid diamond surround Envy through the piercing light.

Al squinted. "She's pretty good at this."

Ed agreed. "I noticed."

After a solid minute passed, and the building they were in was completely level, finally, the light died down and Aria, weak form the transmutation, began to fall forward. Luckily for her Alphonse, who was directly behind her, caught her just in time. He pulled Aria back away from the deep hole that she created. "You ok?"

Aria groaned. "Yeah...So tired though." She rubbed her eyes. "That took a lot out of me."

Ed leaned over the edge of the ten foot wide hole. "So, how far down does it go?"

"I'm not sure...pretty far I assume." Aria closed her eyes and rested her head on Al's shoulder.

Picking up a spare rock left over from the transmutation, Ed held it over the large creator and let it go. He stood there, waiting for a noise. "..." Nothing. "..." Still nothing. "..." Finally, there was the sound of the rock hitting something. "Wow...that has to be at least half a mile down." He shrugged. "Looks like I got my work cut out for me." He sighed. "I'll be right back." He began to run off in the direction of the bigger buildings. "Oh, and move out of the way!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Al, even though he was still kind of weak, picked Aria up in his arms and headed toward the other soldiers. "What do you think he's doing?" She asked him in a confused tone.

He turned, Aria still in his arms. "I'm not completely sure, but I think he's looking for something to fill in that hole."

Just then, everyone could see the ground heave and a wave of rubble head toward them. "We should move." Aria sounded kind of scared as she tapped him frantically on the shoulder.

"Good idea." Al picked up the pace and began running. "Move guys!" He yelled to the other soldiers who in turn, saw just what Al was moving away from.

In a flash, the tidal wave of rubble came down and crashed on the gaping hole. "There, all done." Ed said, standing atop the mountain of rubble.

Al brushed the dust out of the air in front of him and helped Aria stand. "A little warning next time Ed."

Ed rubbed the base of his nose. "I had it under control. You should have more faith in me." He yelled down to them. Making a few carefully placed jumps, Ed was down at the bottom of the pile of junk and broken buildings. "Now, to smooth things over." Ed clapped his hands again and touched the rubble. In a matter of seconds, the rubble receded and the ground was once more completely leveled.

"Nice." Aria smiled.

"Perfect." Al added. "Let's get going, I'm sure Winry wouldn't mind a phone call right about now."

Ed smiled. "Sure." With all that done and over with, the three of them headed back toward Central to file their reports.

* * *

"Alphonse Elric. How have you been?" Grumman smiled at the young boy. They stood outside the main headquarters, Mustang's staff was present and also a good portion of the other alchemists who accompanied them on their rescue mission.

Al stood up straight and saluted the older man. "Good, thank you sir." He lowered his hand.

Aria leaned over to Ed and whispered. "Who's that?"

He leaned and replied. "That's Fuehrer King Grumman. He's the guy in charge of the military. Actually, he's Riza Hawkeye's Grandfather."

She gasped. "Really? Wow, such an important person." Retaining her excitement, she quietly watched on to what he had to say to Al.

"Good, good. I heard you caused quite a ruckus down below Central." He placed his arms behind his back and clasped his hands together. "Would you care to explain?" It seemed as though Al was being scolded.

"Well, I uh...sir." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "It's just that--"

Grumman smiled, putting Al's shuddering at ease. "Don't be so uptight. I'm just a little curious as to how someone is able to control inanimate objects through alchemy."

Al breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he was going to get in trouble for getting rid of all the excess cult members, via explosion. "It's quite easy really." He kneeled down on one knee and drew a circle in the ground and then, touching the circle lightly, he created a small movable toy. Which, oddly enough, looked strikingly like his old suit of armor. "If I transmute a small part of my soul into the object, I can move it." He proceeded to draw another circle in the ground and place the stone toy in the center.

Once again, he touched the circle and preformed alchemy on the little bobble. As if by magic, the little toy moved of it's own accord. "And now, I can move freely inside the inanimate object." The little toy spoke.

"Amazing! It can talk." Grumman looked down at the figure, walking and moving about on it's own. "How exactly are you doing that?"

Al smiled. "Actually, I'm not doing anything right now. It's doing that all on it's own. You see, with my soul in there, it can move around as if it's me...and...really, I'm not to sure how it works, it just does."

"I have no clue either." The little toy spoke again. Then, the figure slowed down, and then fell over.

"Oh...it died." Grumman picked it up and shook it a little.

Al smiled. "Nah, it's ok. The transmutation is only temporary, when it wears off, my soul returns to me."

Grumman nodded and reached into his back pocket. "Well, that's all the proof I need." He held out a silver pocked watch with the Armistrian military symbol on the front of it. "I think you deserve this. The test you wrote still counts, so all I needed was proof of talent."

Al's eyes widened. "Uh, I--?" He reached out and took the watch from the old man. "Thank you sir." He promptly attached it to his own belt.

"It looks good on you." Ed spoke from behind him.

Al smiled at his brother. "Thanks." Quickly turning back to the fuehrer, Ed and Al stood side by side, and in traditional military fashion, saluted him.

He smiled warmly. "Now there's just the matter of your name." He thought to himself for a moment. "How does the 'Wandering Soul Alchemist' sound?"

"I'd say it's got a nice ring to it." Ed glanced at his brother.

He nodded. "Defiantly."

Grumman smiled. "Good,

* * *

Al held his watch out in front of him and admired it. "Wandering Soul..."

Aria, who sat in the seat next to him, smiled and leaned up against his shoulder. "It's sounds all dark and mysterious." She giggled. "I think things turned out pretty good, wouldn't you say?"

Ed and Al both nodded. The older of the two, having an entire seat to himself, laid out and stretched. "It really did...I'm still amazed at that ability of yours Al. Where did you learn how to do that?"

He thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I guess when the stone activated, it gave me the know how of the soul transfer. Who knows. The important thing is that we're finally going to get some rest."

Ed shut his eyes. "Yeah, us being in Resembool will put Winry's mind at ease." He smiled. Finally, they were going back to nice warm beds and a happy home.

* * *

**_!!!END!!!_**

* * *

Ok...so the ending sucked...but at least I finished it.

Keep an eye out for my new fic! XD  
Don't make me harass you! (Kidding.)

Leave a review? It is the last chapter after all. :)


	39. A total rewrite!

If it interests any of you, I am currently re-writing this 3 part story into a single, polished story. the plot is reminiscent of the old one, but from a different angle. Things play out differently and it now takes place after the 'Brotherhood' time-line.

I feel it's enough of a change to possibly make you want to give it a chance.

For what it's worth I would love the opinions of the readers who have read this version.  
You guys have the most insight on how I use to write. You'd be able to point out good changes and even bad changes the best.  
So if anyone has the time, give it a look.

Thanks for the years of reviews!

-Eve Nightingale


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